Ingredients 3 cups chopped spinach 2 large onoins chopped fine 2 large potatoes boiled and peeled 1 tomato grated 2 green chillies 1" piece ginger 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. wheat or other flour 1 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tsp. cinnamon-clove powder 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 2 pinches asafoetida 1/2 tsp. garam masala 1/2 tbsp. butter 4 tbsp. ghee salt to taste METHOD: Put the washed spinach in a pan, add very little water (just a sprinkle) and a pinch of salt. Cover and boil over a high flame for 2 minutes. Cool quickly, or hold under running water in a colander. Put in a mixie, add green chilli and run for a minute. Keep slightly coarse, do not make very smooth. Keep aside. Cut the potatoes into big pieces. Heat ghee and fry potatoes till light brown. Drain the potatoes, keep aside. In the same hot ghee add the cumin seeds. Add the ginger, onions and fry till very tender. Add the tomato and further fry for two minutes. Add all the dry masalas and fry till ghee separates. Add spinach and potatoes. When it resumes a boil sprinkle the flour and stir well. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice Just before s erving heat butter in a tiny saucepan and add the asafoetida. Pour over the vegetable and mix gently. Serve hot with naan or parathas or even rice. Note: You may use boiled peas, boiled corn kernels or paneer chunks in the above dish, instead of atoes. Making time: 45 minutes Makes for: 6 Shelf life: Best fresh

2.

Gobi Manchurian

INGREDIENTS: 7

1 medium. cauliflower clean and broken into big florettes. 1 small bunch spring onoin finely chopped 2 tsp. ginger finely chopped 1 tsp. garlic finely chopped 1/4 cup plain flour 3 tbsp. cornflour 1/4 tsp. red chilli powder 2 red chillies, dry 3 tbsp. oil 1 1/2 cups water 1 tbsp. milk METHOD: Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp.cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove. Serve hot with noodles or rice.

Variations: Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya ce at this stage. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce. Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above. Making time: 45 minutes Makes for: 6 Shelf life: Best fresh

Method: Grind the dry and wet masalas separately. Chop all the fruit fine. Heat ghee and fry cashews, drain and keep aside. Add butter to ghee and heat, add the wet masala and fry for 2 minutes. Add the dry masala and salt and fry 2 more minutes. Add the carrots and peas, mix together curd and cream and add to gravy. Allow to thicken a bit, add fruit, cashews and raisins and boil till the gravy is thick and the fat separates. Garnish with grated cheese ,coriander and chopped cherries. Serve hot with naan, roti or paratha. Making time: 45 minutes Makes for: 6 Shelf life: Best fresh

Method: Koftas Boil the potatoes, peel and smash them. Mix together all the ingredients except raisins and cashews. Take a ping-pong ball sized dough in hand. Flatten. Place 2-3 cashews and raisins in the centre and shape into a ball. Repeat for remaining dough. Keep aside. Gravy: Roast the cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves together. Dry grind and keep aside. Wet grind all the other ingredients, except ghee, to a paste. Heat ghee in a skillet, add powdered spices and fry for 2-3 seconds. Add paste and fry further for 5-7 minutes stirring well. Add 2 cups water and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Warm the koftas either in the oven or on the tava. Optional: You can deep fry the koftas also. To serve place warm koftas in a casserole. Either pour boiling hot gravy on the koftas or pour and bake in hot oven of 5 minutes. Garnish with grated cheese and chopped coriander. Serve hot with naan or parathas. Making time: 45 minutes. Makes: 10 koftas with gravy. Shelf life: Best fresh.

Shape into balls with greased palms. Keep aside. To proceed: Make a paste with water, of flour for patching. Keep aside. Take a pingpong ball sized portion of dough. Knead into round. Roll into 4" diam. round. Place one ball of filling at centre. Pick up round and wrap ball into it like a pouch. Break off excess dough carefully. Do not allow cover to tear. Press the ball with palm, making it flattish and round. Repeat for 4-5 kachories. Deep fry in hot oil, on low flame only. If the kachori get a hole anywhere, apply some paste. Return to oil and finish frying. Turn and repeat for other side. Fry till golden and crisp. Small bubbles must appear over kachori. Drain and serve hot with green and tamarind chutneys. Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and cooling times) Makes: 10-12 pieces Shelf life: 2-3 days Note: Take care to fry on low. Hurried frying will result in soggy and oily kachories.

11.

Spicy Sev

Ingredients 2 cups gram flour (besan) 1/2 tsp. ajwain (omam) seeds 1 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder 1 tbsp. oil salt to taste 2-3 pinches asafoetida water to make dough oil to deep fry Method 1.Mix the chilli, oil, salt and seeds into the flour. 2.Add enough water to make a dough which is quite gooey. 3.It should not be pliable but sticky. 4.Grease the inside of a Sev-press, fill with the dough. 5.Press into hot oil, and fry lightly on both sides. 6.Drain well and cool before storing. Variation: You may adjust the chillies as per taste. 16

You may omit chillies to make bland sev. You may add finely crushed dried herbs (eg. mint) for add flavour. Note: A sevpress is similar to a vermicelli press, but it should be small enough to handle over hot oil. Making time: 15-20 minutes Makes: 250 grams approx.

1/2 tsp. jaggery salt to taste 1 tsp. oil 1 clovette garlic Method: Put all the ingredients , except oil and asafoetida , in a small mixie. Heat the oil and add the asafoetida and put in the mixie. Run the mixie till a smooth chutney is obtained. Try using no water or as little as possible to make the chutney keep longer. Add water as and when required. Store in a clean glass bottle. Note: Sev is a fried Indian snack made of gramflour. Makes 1/2 cup chutney Making time: 5 minutes Shelf life: 1 week (refrigerated)

Ingredients (for two people) :Moong dhal - 1/2 cup. Rice - 1/2 cup. Milk Coconut cashew jaggery raisins (khish-mish - dry grapes) cardamom ghee. Fry the moong dhal (before washing) till it becomes little light brown (it will start smelling). Then soak rice and dhal separately for 10 minutes. Thoroghly wash and keep it in cooker with the right water (lesser is o.k)and cook it seperately (in two different containers). Meanwhile cut coconut in very small pieces and fry in ghee. Fry cashew and raisins also separately. Break the jagerry and put in water (very little) and make a syrup. This is done because sometimes jagerry has mud and stones. After we make the syrup strain it through tea strainer. Put the rice and dhal in a big vessel and add milk (may be one cup) and cook it till all the milk gets absorbed. Add jaggery syrup and again cook till even it gets absorbed. Add three big table spoons of ghee, powdered cardamon and cook again for a while. Add fried coconut, cashews and raisins. Serve hot in two cups with a spoon of ghee.

16.

Ulundu vada

urad dhaal hari mirch salt Soak dhaal in water over night. Grind dhaal in little water. Then make vada shape and deep fry in oil.

urad dhaal chana dhaal red chillis Following is the thread test (tar) to check required consistency of syrup (chashni). If no thread is formed, but there is stickiness in the syrup when tested, then it is 3/4 tar (thread). This consistency is generally used in dipping sweets like, gulabjamoon, boondi, jalebi, imarti, etc. Boil some more and when 1 tar forms, it is used in soaking pancake pancakes like malpua. On further boiling two tars are obtained and this is used in sweets like burfis, mohanthal, etc. At this stage a drop of syrup dropped on a plate will form a soft ball when cooled. After this stage do no stir briskly and continuously or the sugar will recrystallise. Still further boiling will form 2 1/2 to 3 tars and this syrup is used to get a white coating of sugar on sweets like balushahi, surti ghari, etc. At this stage when the syrup is dropped in a plate it will form a hard ball when cooled. Following are the steps shown to make sugar syrup (chashni) in the right way. a.Take sugar and water in the ratio of 2 : 1 1/2 unless other wise mentioned. b.Put both in a deep saucepan to boil, stirring occasionally. c.When the mixture comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup milk. d.When a thick scum is formed on the surface of syrup, it is time to strain. e.Always use a metal strainer or moist cloth to strain the hot syrup, never plas tic. f.Put back to boil, checking the consistency required as above. g.Check frequently, because once the first thread forms, it proceeds to thicken to the next stages very quickly. h.Use as required in the recipe. Make syrup side by side of making the recipe, reheating the syrup too many times will alter the texture of the resulting sweet dish. To save time, prepare the syrup on a second burner, while making the rest of the recipe. This will avoid excess wastage of time and unnecessary cooling off, of the fried flours, etc. as the recipe demands.

Ingredients 300gms. channa (yellowgram) dal 300 gms. jaggery (molasses) 1 tsp. cardamom powder 150 gms. plain flour 1 tbsp. ghee warm water to knead dough ghee to serve Method Boil dal in plenty of water till soft but not broken. Drain in a colander for 10-15 minutes. Pass through an almond grater little by little till all dal is grated. Mash jaggery till lumps break. Mix well into dal. Put mixture in a heavy saucepan and cook till a soft lump is formed Take care to stir continuously, so as not to charr. Keep aside. Mix ghee, flour, add enough water to make a soft pliable dough. Take a morsel sized ball of dough, roll into a 4" round. Place same sized ball of filling in centre, life all round and seal. Reroll carefully to a 6" diameter round. Roast on warm griddle till golden brown. Repeat other side. Take on serving plate. Apply a tsp. of ghee all over top. OR Shallow fry on griddle like a paratha for a better flavour. But this method will consume more ghee and therefore calories. Serve hot with dal or amti. Note: The water drained from boiling dal is used to make the amti. ( a thin curry made using black masala, garam masala and some mashed dal.) Making time: 45 minutes Makes: 7-8 puranpolis Shelflife: Best fresh (puran {filling} may be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

Ingredients 2 cups urad dal 3 cups sugar 300 ml. water saffron colour 1/2 tsp. cardomom ground 500 gms. ghee to fry Method 1.Soak urad dal overnight in plenty of water. 2.Wash and drain. Grind to fine thick batter. Put water little by little. 3.Add colour and mix very well. 4.If using a mixie, beat the dal well by hand till fluffy after grinding. 5.Keep aside for 3 hours. More is weather is cold. 6.Make 1 tar sugar syrup as shown in introduction. 7.Add cardomom powder to syrup. 8.Using either an imarti bottle (with nozzle) or cloth as shown in note, form imartis in the hot ghee. Lower flame and allow to crisp turning once. 9.Remove from ghee, drain and dip in hot syrup. 10.Soak for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve. 11.Repeat for remaining batter. 12.Make 4-5 imartis at a time, depending on size of frying pan. Note: Use a flat bottomed frying pan. The imarti bottle can be substituted with a soft plastic sauce bottle with a nozzle. If not available, take a 12"x 12" thick cloth, make a buttonhole type hole in centre. Place over a tumbler and pour in some batter. Hold like a pouch and press out imartis like icing. Shape the imartis as follows, make a ring first, then form small ringlets all along the ring. Till you come to the start. Making time: 1 hour (excluding soaking and keeping time) Makes: 20 imartis Shelflife: (1) Keep unsoaked in syrup for a day. (2) Soak in syrup as required.

1 tin condensed milk 1 kg khajur deseeded (dates) 250 gm mixed dryfruits (badam, cashew, pista) 1/2 cup dessicated dry coconut Method Break up khajur coarsely Add milkmaid and dryfruit all in a heavy, non-stick pan. Cook on slow flame, stirring continuously. Do not allow to stick to bottom. It takes a while to cook Stir gently till a soft lump forms. Spread some of the coconut on a butter paper sheet. Grease hands and take a chunk of the mixture and roll into a thick roll, on the sheet, all the coconut to cover it. Chill the rolls in the fridge Cut into slices Or set in a tray and cut into squares.

Method Boil half the milk and add the citric solution as it comes to boil Switch off gas. Once the chenna settles sieve through muslin cloth, press out excess water, take in a plate and press down. Do not knead. Put the remaining milk in a heavy pan and boil to half. Add the chenna and boil till the mixture thickens, stirring continuously. Add the sugar and continue to cook, stirring all the while till softly thickens in a lump. Set in a tray, apply silver foil and sprinkle the chopped nuts.

27.

Badam ka seera

1 1/2 cup almonds soaked overnight 3 cups hot milk 250 gm ghee 1/2 to 1/3 cup sugar Method Peel the almonds, wash and grind to fine paste. Heat ghee in a heavy pan. Add paste and cook on first high then slow flame, stirring continuosly. After a while it should turn a light brown and aromatic. Carefully pour hot milk and stir. Use a long-handled spatula as the mixture tends to splatter. When thickens, add the sugar and cook, stirring continously and gently till ghee begins to separate. Decorate with chopped nuts and serve hot.

elaichi powder water about 250 ml. Method Soak the dal for 5-6 hours. Wash and remove the skins well. Grind dal fine either in a stone grinder or electric grinder or mixie. Use as little water as possible. Put sugar and water in a pan and put to boil. Once sugar dissolve add a few tblsp. of milk. As the syrup boils the scum will rise. Remove with a strain. Further boil till the syrup become sticky between the fingers. (One thread should fall when poured from a tilted spoon) keep aside. Heat the ghee in a heavy kadai (vessel) and add dal. Keep stirring rigorously to avoid burning. Once the dal stops sticking to the vessel, stir gradually till golden brown, and ghee begins to separate. Pour the hot syrup, add elaichi and dissolved saffron. Stir very carefully, not allowing hand to be scalded. Cook slowly till all water is absorbed. Decorate with chopped dry fruit. Serve hot especially on a cold day.

Ingredients: 1 litre milk 1/2 tsp. citric acid 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 cups water 2-3 drops rose essence Method: Heat the milk and bring to boil. Cool the milk for a couple of hours. Remove the cream layer. Reheat the milk and bring to a boil. Add the citric acid dissolved in some water. Stir slowly till the milk is fully curdled. Keep as it is for 5 minutes. Meanwhile heat the sugar and water in a wide sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Strain the milk through a muslin cloth. Wash the chenna in the cloth under cold running water. 28

Press out the excess water and remove in a wide plate. Gently knead into a soft dough by passing between fingers. Make twelve equal sized balls of the dough. Let them into the boiling water. Cover with a perforated lid. Boil for 13 to 15 minutes. Take off from heat and cool them to room temperature. Add essence and chill for at least 4 to 5 hours. Serves: 6 helpings Time required: 1/2 hour.

2 sheets silver foil (edible) Method: Mash khoya . Mix in tne sugar. Put into a heavy saucepan. Cook on slow flame, stirring continuously. Cook till the mixture is a very soft lump.* Place on a working board and roll with a rolling pin to 1/2 inch thickness. Cool a little. Spread on the working board silver foil carefully and evenly. Make incisions with knife to cut in the desired size and shape. Note: Burfi is usually cut into 1 1/2 inch squares. Variation: To make chocolate mava burfi: Follow till * as above. Divide the mixture in two parts 1/3 and 2/3 In the smaller part mix 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. chocolate colour. Roll both parts separately. Place the chocolate on the mava layer. Roll lightly. Continue as for mavaburfee. Serves: 25 helpings Time required:1/2 hr. Shelf life: 10 days

1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 cup milk 1/4 tsp. cardomom powder 1 pinch saffron strands 250 gms. sugar ghee to deep fry Method 1.Crumble the khoya. Sieve in the flour and soda together. 2.Mix in the cardomom powder and crushed saffron. 3.Mix well to form a soft dough. Use as much milk as required for kneading. 4.Make balls of even size. Makes about 25-30. 5.Heat the ghee very well. Take off fire and cool a little. Let in some of the jamoons. 6.When they rise up put back on fire and fry till medium brown. 7.Remove from ghee and put in the syrup. Soak for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a glass bowl. 8.Repeat for all the balls. When done pour the remaining syrup over the jamoons. 9.Microwave lightly or warn over boiling water before serving. To make the syrup: 1.Take the sugar in a heavy pan and add water to just cover the sugar. 2.Boil and add a tbsp. of milk to separate the dirt. Strain and boil again. 3.The syrup is done when , while dropping from a spoon it falls in a thin single thread. Serves: 25-30 helpings Time required: 1 hr. Shelf life :2-3 days, (1 week refrigerated)

Method 1.Mix ingredients for filling. The mixture should be soft and crumbly. 2.Mix ingredients for cover. Using water knead to a pliable dough. 3.Cover with a wet cloth. Keep aside 4.Boil sugar and water adding a tbsp. of milk to clear the syrup. 5.Boil till the syrup is slightly sticky between the fingers. 6.Strain. Crush and add the saffron. Keep aside. 7.Make 15 to 16 flattish balls of the mixture. 8.Divide dough also into 15 to 16 parts. 9.Roll one part into a puri, place one mixture ball in the centre. 10.Pull up all the sides to seal the mixture and press in centre. 11.Make 5 to 6 such kachoris, heat ghee and fry on low flame till light brown, turning once. 12.Repeat for remaining kachoris. 13.When slightly cool, make a hole in the centre of each (approx. 2cm. diameter). 14.Pour about half tbsp. of syrup and roll kachori around to let the syrup spread. 15.Allow to stand for half hour before serving. Note: The unsweetened kachoris may be stored without refrigeration for one week and sweetened as required . Serves:15 helpings . Time required:2 hr. Shelf life: 10 days .

Ingredients 1 1/2 cup maida (plain flour) 1/2 cup jaggery 1 cup water 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder 1 tbsp. ghee ghee to deep fry Method 1.Heat the water and jaggery till all of it dissolves in the water. 2.Strain and cool a bit. 3.Mix the cardamom powder and ghee in the flour. 4.Knead the flour with the jaggery water. 5.The dough should be stiff but pliable. 6.Break into approx. 20 parts. 7.Knead each with palm and roll into 4" rounds. 33

8.Make many tiny slits with knife or fork on each on both sides. 9.Keep them aside on a clean cloth for an hour or so to dry a bit. 10.Deep fry in hot ghee on low flame till light golden in colour. 11.Drain and cool for a while. 12.The khajas will become crisper and harder as they cool. 13.Store in airtight container after cooling completely. Making time: 45 minutes Makes: 20-25 pieces

Ingredients 1 cup gram flour 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup water 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder 6-8 chopped almonds ghee to deep fry perforated flat spoon about 5" diameter Method 1.Boil the sugar and water together. Add a tbsp. of milk to bring up the scum. 2.Remove scum and boil liquid till the syrup is sticky between the fingers. 3.Keep aide, but keep warm for use. 4.Make batter with gram flour, which should not be too thin. 5.The batter should evenly coat the back of a spoon when dipped in it. 6.Heat ghee, hold perforated spoon a little above the hot ghee, pour some batter on the spoon. 7.Tap very lightly at edge of spoon to allow small droplets to fall in the ghee. 8.Pour back remaining batter and wipe spoon. 9.Stir the boondis in the ghee gently and fry till crisp but not brown. 10.Drain and put into the syrup. Keep for 3-4 minutes before draining from the syrup. 11.Spread on a wide plate, add cardamom powder, almonds and mix gently. 12.Cool completely and loosen the boondi with finger till each droplet separates. 13.Store in airtight container. Note: Take great care while dropping the boondi in the hot ghee so as not to burn yourself. A little practice and it is very easy. Making time: 30 minutes. Makes: 3 cups approx.

Allow to soak for 7-8 hours or overnight. Rewash the rice by draining the water 2-3 times. Grind to a paste. Rawa -like grains should be felt in the batter. Add soda bicarb and salt and mix well. Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Beat the curds well. Add to the batter, add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be thick enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped. Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well. Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round. Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it. Remove with spatula when crisp. Serve hot with chutney and / or sambar.

Ingredients: 1 cup plain rice. 1 cup parboiled rice. 1/4 cup white udad dal. 1/2 tsp. methi (fenugreek) seeds 1 /2 tsp soda bi carbonate 1/2 cup curds the batter. 10-12 tsps. ghee or oil as preferred water for grinding Method: Wash the rices and dal together. Add plenty of water and methi seeds. Allow to soak for 7-8 hours or overnight. Rewash the rice by draining the water 2-3 times. Grind to a paste. Rawa -like grains should be felt in Add soda bicarb and salt and mix well. Keep aside in a warm place for 8-10 hours. Beat the curds well. Add to the batter, add more water if required. The consistency of the batter should be enough to thickly coat on a spoon when dipped. Heat the iron griddle or non-stick tawa well. Pour a spoonful of batter in the centre, spread with the back of the spoon to a thin round. Pour a tsp. of ghee or oil over it. Spread chutney spread over dosa. Place a tbsp. masala in the centre. Fold into triangle to cover masala. 37

Ingredients 2 cups slightly coarse wheat flour 1/4 cups maida 2 tbsp ghee 2 tbsp curd salt to taste. Knead slightly stiff dough cover and keep for 2 hours. Take naan sized dough and make a ball. Roll to a thickish roti (4-5 mm thick). Heat griddle (tawa) place on tawa and dry one side. Wet upper side with water and invert. Invert griddle and roast over gas flame (or if available a barb- que coalfire). It will fall off when done. Serve hot with desired vegetables.

57.

Naan

3 cups self-raising flour (maida) 1 tbsp oil 2 tbsp butter 1/2 cup curds fresh salt to taste 1/2 tsp baking soda (soda - bicarb) warm milk for kneading. METHOD Sieve together dry ingredients into a large rimmed plate. Add butter curds, oil and crumble with fingers. When does is like course crumbs, add milk a little at a time, till a soft pliable dough is formed. Cover with wet muslin cloth. Cover with another plate and keep aside for 5 - 6 hours. Knead dough lightly. Break of piece, the size of a medium potato and roll into a thick triangle, using dry dough if required. Place on a pre-warmed griddle (tawa). Apply water on the top part with hands Invert naan and stick to griddle. Invert griddle and roast over the gas flame direct (or nothing like toasting over bar-b-que coals). Serve hot with a blob of butter on it.

1/2 turmeric powder 2-3 pinches asafaetida 1/2 tsp each cummin / oregano seeds finely chopped coriander 1 tbsp water METHOD Knead a slightly stiff dough, adding all above ingredients, cover with wet cloth. Break off bits and make small potato sized balls. Roll to 3-4 mm thickness. Roast on griddle (tawa) as for phulka. Or after brown spots appear place direct on gas flame and puff, with help of tongs. Phulka also may be done similarly if puffing with cloth, feels difficult. Apply ghee or butter and serve hot with sweetened mango preserve (chunda) or curds or jam.

59.

Baked Bread Rolls

Ingredients 6 slices soft bread fresh 1 tbsp. butter softened 2 flakes garlic crushed 1/2 tsp. crushed red chilli salt to taste 1 tbsp. grated cheese Method 1.Roll the bread flat with the help of a rolling pin. 2.Mix the salt, chilli, garlic in the butter. 3.Apply on all slices generously. 4.Roll one slice tightly from end to end. 5.Brush all over with a bit of butter. 6.Coat the roll with grated cheese by rolling in it. 7.Repeat for all slices. Cover rolls with a moist cloth. 8.Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 9.Bake in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes or till golden brown and crisp. 10.Serve hot with ketchup. Note: If you have trouble keep the rolls in place when raw, secure them with toothpicks before placing in the fridge. Remove toothpicks before baking. Making time: 10 minutes (excluding chilling and baking time) Makes: 6 rolls

60.

Simple Potato Cake

Ingredients 3 large potatoes 44

1 capsicum 1/2 cup grated cheese 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup milk 1red chilli crushed 2 tsp butter 1 tbsp. plain flour Method 1.The potatoes will turn out best if boiled and refrigerated overnight before using. 2.Do not peel potatoes. Slice into thin rounds or grate coarsely. 3.Deseed capsicum and slice into thin rounds 4.Heat a thick nonstick pan about 5" diameter. 5.Meanwhile mix cheese, milk, crumbs, flour and chilli. 6.If mixture feels thin, add some more bread crumbs. 7.Add salt to taste. Apply 1 tsp. on bottom of pan. 8.Arrange potatoes to cover the pan. Top with capsicum. 9.Pour the mixture all over evenly. Level to cover all the potatoes. 10.Sprinkle fresh ground pepper, salt and simmer on low till bottom is golden brown. 11.Flip over very carefully with a wide sharp spatula, and roast the other side. 12.Let in the remaining butter around the edges to seep down. 13.Let other side become golden brown too. 14.Flip on serving plate and make sections with a knife. 15.Serve hot and crisp. Variation: Bake the same if desired, instead if roasting. Making time: 40 minutes

Palak Paneer
Ingredients Spinach - 500 gms Onions - 5 medium sized Garlic - 2-3 flakes Cooking oil - 6-7 tbsps Cummin seeds - 1 tbsp Paneer - 150-200 gms Salt to taste Garam Masala, Geera Powder, Chilli Powder Method 1.Cook the spinach in water. 2.Drain the water and then make puree of the spinach leaves. 3.Cut 4 of the onions finely and saute them till transparent. 4.Grind the other onion and the garlic flakes to a fine paste. 5.Add this paste to the sauted onions. Also add the puree and the spice powders. Add some water if necessary. 6.Let boil for a minute or two. 7.Cut the paneer to cubes of desired size (preferably not too small). Fry this in oil till golden brown, 8.Add this paneer to the prepared palak. 9.Serve hot with rice or rotis.

63.

Mysore Pak (South Indian Dish)
Ingredients Besan (chick-pea flour) 1 cup Sugar 1 1/2 cups Ghee 2 cups Water 1 3/4 cups Procedure 1.Dissolve the sugar in the water and heat it. 2.Keep stirring till you get a thread consistency. 3.You can check for this by feeling the syrup between your fore-finger and thumb. (If the syrup has reached the required consistency, then you will able to pull it out like a thread). 4.Remove all the lumps in the chick-pea flour and add it to the syrup, 1 table spoon at a time. 5.Reduce the heat and add 2 teaspoons of ghee. 46

6.Stir, till the flour and ghee has completely blended with the syrup. 7.Repeat procedure 2 till you finish all of the besan. 8.Continue to stir and keep adding ghee 1tsp. at a time till the mixture changes color and texture. At one point, you will observe that the mixture is not able to absorb any more ghee. Also, the whole mixture becomes porous and starts leaving the edges of the vessel. 9.At this point, transfer the mixture into a greased plate and with a spatula press the mixture down till the excess ghee surfaces. Do not remove the excess ghee. 10.Allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Then, cut it into desired shape and wait for another 10 minutes. Carefully remove each piece and arrange on the serving tray. Cooking time: 45 minutes. Yield: 40 medium sized pieces.

Tikha Baigan Masala
Ingredients 1/2 kg brinjal (small size) 3-4 onions (cut in big pieces) 2 tbsp of grated coconut (dried) 1 whole garlic ginger 2 tbsp chilli powder 1 tsp turmeric powder salt to taste small lump of tamrind 1 tbsp garam masala powder 1 tsp jeera Method 1.Take all the ingredients grind it at once in mixer, do not add water. 2.Add 2 tbsp of oil in pan and heat it, put the mixture in the pan. 3.Fry the mixture properly. Take of the pan fromstove and let it cool. 4.Take the brinjal slit it in 4, fill the mixture in the brinjal. 5.Pour 2 - 3 tbsp of oil in kadai, heat it and then put the stuffed brinjal, cook it. 6.Add little water to the brinjal. Put small piece of jaggery to taste if required. 7.Let it cook for 15-20 minutes. Your tikha brinjal masala is ready

68.

Vaangi Baath (Brinjal Rice)
Ingredients Brinjal - 300 gms Onions - 2-3 medium sized Coriander powder, Chilli powder, Salt to taste Rice - 1 cup Water - 2 1/2 cups Cooking oil - 2 tbsps Finely chopped coriander leaves Method 1.Cut the brinjal & onions to not very fine pieces. If u cut the brinjals too fine, they will get mashed up and will lose their taste. 2.Saute the onions till they get transparent. Then, add the brinjals also. 3.Add the spice powders and saute the curry for 4-5 minutes. 4.Cook the rice in the quantity of water mentioned above. Do not overcook. 5.Allow it to cool and then mix it with the curry just prepared above taking care to see that u do not mash them up. 6.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves. 7.Serve hot.

49

69.

Bread Besan Bajji
Ingredients 4 Slices of bread 1 cup of channa dal 1 spoon chilli powder 1/4 spoon corriander powder salt to taste. Oil for frying. Method 1.If you prefer onions you can put 1/2 onion cut into small pieces. 2.Make the paste of channa dal by adding some water and mix salt, chilli, corriander powder and some corriander leaves for taste. 3.Cut the bread into four pieces and dip them in channa dal paste and deep fry them in the oil till golden brown. 4.Serve them with some hot sauce or ketchep.

vegetables just drain). 4.Heat one tablespoon of oil. 5.Fry onions till it turns into brown & add the grounded paste. Just fry for few seconds. 6.Then add the smashed vegetables & fry till it gets thickened. Wait to cool. 7.Then make them into small balls and dip it in the above said Maida consistency & immediately smear them in the above said powder and spread them in the plate or paper to dry. 8.Once everything over just do deep-fry or roast both the sides of them by adding little bit of oil till it turns into brown in the wok or thava. Servings: 12-15 (depends upon the balls you are making) Side Dish: Ketchup, Chilly chutney

71.

Kesar Pista Kulfi
Ingredients Take two cans of evaporated milk. One can of condensed milk One 16 Oz wipped cream 1\4 cup pista 1 pinch safron Method 1.Take a pot and mix evaporated milk, condensed milk and wipped cream with the hand grinder (mixer grinder) 2.Now mix pis ta and saforn in it 3.Put into a air sealed container and put in the freezer for 4 hours. Note: It will taste authentic with falooda.

In a wide skillet heat oil on medium. When oil is hot add dry red peppers and fry for one minute. Then add mustard seeds, black gram and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds pop, add asafoetida. Immediately add the vegetables and sauce from the pot. Cook for a minute or two. Remove from heat. Goes well with plain white rice, pita, paratha, puri. *If drumstick is not available, you can add some other vegetable. Eggplant, however, is not advised because it becomes bitter when boiled in water.

74.

Milagu Kuzhambu
coriander seeds - 2 spoons(fry first) toor dal - 2 spoons whole black peppers - 2 spoons whole red peppers - 3-4 asafoetida and curry leaves -little Fry the above ingredients in a little amount of oil and grind it.Mix this paste with tamarind juice, add water and heat until the raw smell is gone. Side dish - This can be mixed with rice and served along with paruppu thogaiyal, or as a side dish to curd rice.

Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with half teaspoon turmeric for ten minutes. Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt. Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains. Let it simmer. Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till browned. Add this mixture to the erisherry and mix in the curry leaves.

77.

Vella Appam (PK John)

2 cups of white rice Half a coconut 1 table spoon of yeast Sugar Salt 2 table spoon of partially ground, cooked rice Soak the washed rice for 3 to 4 hours.Wash and drain. Grind the soaked rice in a blender with just enough water so that the ground material will be thick. In the early stages of grinding take out about two table spoon of the partially ground rice and keep it apart for cooking and later mixing.(This will be called KURUKKU). Mix separately 1 teaspoonful of yeast , quarter cup of luke warm water and 1 tablespoon of sugar and allow the mixture to rise. Grind the coconut to a milky emulsion. Mix your ground rice, 'Kurukku'(cook the partially ground rice saved earlier like a thick porridge) the yeast mixture and ground coconut Allow the mixture to ferment for about 6 hours. Add sugar and salt as your taste dictates.You can add a little coconut milk to adjust the consistency.(You can add one beaten up egg at this stage if you fear appams sticking to the pan.- Alternately you can wrap a half fried egg in cloth and use it to rub the frying area of your pan.) Now put the mixture in a warm oven for 2 hours just before you make the Appams After it rises DO NOT STIR. Use a cast iron pan and use the same technique that one uses for pancakes.

in a fry pan and add some gram dal and whole red peppers and fry slightly. Add tamarind juice to this and bring it to boil.Add salt and heat with constant stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Now add the ground powder and stir constantly with heating until it becomes a non-sticky paste.Store in refrigerator.

VenPongal
Mix rice and moong dal in the ratio 1:1.Add 3 times water and steam until it is overcooked.Cut green chillies and ginger into fine pieces.Take some ghee in a fry pan and add whole black peppers, and cumun seeds.When the peppers burst add chillie and ginger pieces and a pinch of turmeric powder.Add some cashewnuts and remove the pan when the cashews are roasted and begin to smell.Add this to cooked dal-rice.Add salt, curry leaves and mix well.Add some ghee while serving.

Curd Vadai
Grind some grated coconut and green chillies into a thick paste.Add thnis to thick curd and keep it aside. Rinse the required amount of urud dal(black gram) for about 1 1/2 hours.Grind into a thick paste. Add salt, coconut pieces, black whole peppers, and asafoetida.Take a small piece of plantain leaf or plastic sheet of paper and tap the flour on the sheet into a round flat shape Make a small hole in the middle so that it gets fried uniformly.Drop this carefuly into boiling oil and fry till it turns golden brown. Put the vadai immediately in a vessel of water and after about 2 minutes add it to the curd mixtue.Add fresh coriander leaves, boondi.Splatter with mustard and asafoetida.

88.

Vegetable Cutlet
Vegetables-Potato,Beans, Carrots,green peas,Beet Root(if preferred) Steam the vegetables in a pressure cooker or a food steamer and mash them into a tight paste. Add grated onions, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and ground cinnamon(a pinch).Knead the mixture tightly. Take some rice flour and add water to make it into a slightly watery juice.Make the vegetable mixture into evenly sized balls and roll over the rice flour and then cover it with rawa.Deep fry the balls until they turn golden brown. Side dish : Tomato ketchup

1 c Yogurt Spice to taste (cumin and paprika) Oil for frying 1/4 c Milk Method: ------Clean dal, wash and soak in water for 4 hours. Blend in blender at medium speed using the minimum amount of water required to keep paste moving freely. Add salt and start heating oil. Drop spoonfuls of batter in the hot oil using a large tablespoon. Fry until golden brown. Drop in water. Let it soak till ready to serve. Beat yogurt with milk. Add spice according to taste. Squeeze out water from the vada and add yogurt. Serve.

Ingredients Ricotta Cheese 2 lb. Half and Half 2 qts. Sugar 2 cups Cardamon pods 5 Bay leaf 1 Vanilla 1 tsp. Rose Water To taste (opt.) Preparation Mix 1.5 cups of sugar with the Ricotta cheese and bake it in a 400o F oven for about 1hr and 15 minutes in a flat dish covered with aluminum foil. The cheese should have hard- ened and turned a pale brown. Thicken the Half and Half by simmering over low heat for a long time. This is best done in a microwave; if a 60

microwave is not available, do it over low heat and stir frequently. Thicken until the volume drops to around half of the origi- nal volume. Add the remaining 0.5 cup sugar, cardamon pods, bay leaf, vanilla and rose water (and any other flavouring that you may want) to the Half and Half. Heat for a few minutes. After the cheese has been baked, cut it into 1 inch squares and add to the hot thickened half and half. Cool for a few hours in the fridge.

97.

Pulikacchal

Ingredients Soaked tamarind about the size of a large lemon 1 1/2 tbspn jaggery 2 tbspns sesame seeds roasted dry 6-8 green chillies, slit into two (add more for spice) 2 inch ginger cut into thin strips 1 tspn mustard seeds 1 tspn chana dal 3-4 tbspns oil, preferably sesame good pinch asafoetida pinch turmeric curry leaves Preparation Squeeze out the pulp from the tamarind. You can add a little fresh water each time to extract the pulp. When you have a about a small bowl full, set aside. Warm oil, season with mustard seeds first. When they start to pop throw in red chillies, chana dal, asafoetida and curry leaves. When dal turns red, add the green chillies and fry. Throw in the ginger, add tamarind extract carefully, a pinch turmeric, salt to taste and jaggery. Simmer on low heat till raw smell disappears and the sauce has reduced to one-third or thickened yet spoonable. Crush the roasted sesame seeds with a rolling pin on paper or in a spice mill rather coarsely. Add this at the end to the pulikacchal Mix well so there are no lumps.

onions and fry till onions become transcluscent. Add tomatoes and eggplant and fry for another five minutes. If using tamarind paste add a cup and half of water, or pour equal quantity of extract from fresh pulp. Throw in the turmeric, salt and garlic. Let it simmer for a while until eggplant becomes really soft and is barely able to retain its shape. Remove from heat. Tomato-Onion Gotsu More tomatoes can be substituted instead of the eggplant for a tomato- onion gotsu. Add more chillies if necessary.

99.

Katirikka Rasavangi

Ingredients One Bhima eggplant(Brinjal) 1/2 tbsp tamarind paste 1 1/2 tspn coriander seeds 1 tspn chana dal 3-4 dried red chillies 4 tbsp coconut (dry will do but fresh is better) 1/2 cup cooked toovar dal (with turmeric) 1/2 tspn mustard seeds a pinch asafoetida curry leaves A little oil for roasting and seasoning salt to taste Preparation Cube eggplant. In about a cup of water dissolve the tamcon paste. Set on stove, add eggplant to tamarind water, a little turmeric, salt and let cook until eggplant is done but has not lost its shape. In a pan with very little oil roast red chillies, coriander seeds, chana dal and asafoetida. When you can get the aroma of roasted coriander or the red chillies have turned a dark, dark red remove fromheat and let cool. Throw into blender with coconut, add 3 tbsp water and grind slowly into paste. Add a little water if blade gets stuck. Remove from jar and wash it out with water and save this. Mash cooked dal with a spoon until blended and add to cooked eggplant. Now add the coconut paste and its water. Keep on low heat till it starts to simmer a little. Take off heat. Season with spluttering mustard seeds and curry leaves. Variations: You can throw in a handful of chick peas from a can into this, thin it out somewhat and have it as katirikka sambar. Alternately, you can make the cooked dal with half toor and half chana dal, in which case you should not cook until mashed. Remove a trifle before it gets fully done.

turmeric, salt to taste mustard seeds, curry leaves, oil for seasoning Preparation Slit bitter gourd into four quarters and cut 1/2 inch thick pieces across. In a little oil, saute cut bitter gourd and green chillies. Add 2 cups water, tamarind, turmeric and salt. Let simmer until bitter gourd are tender. Add chickpeas and jaggery/sugar. While bitter gourd are cooking, in another pan sprinkle a little oil and fry coriander seeds, urad dal, red chillies and peppercorns until well roasted. Add coconut, stir a min or two and then grind in a blender. Add a little tomato paste if handy for color. Blend in cocunut paste into the bitter gourd-tamarind mixture. Add the dal. Mix well and reheat a till it begins to simmer. Take off stove. Pour seasoning on top.

103. Badusha
Ingredients 2 cups bisquick, sour cream, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water Preparation Make one thread consistency syrup with sugar and water. Make a dough with bisquick and sour cream. Roll it into balls and flatten slightly. Score a circle on the patty with a knife or small cap. Deep fry in crisco or oil on low fire till a med brown. Dip in syrup by pushing it deep down, remove and set aside. Can place a walnut or pecan in the center immediately after dipping.

A small piece of ginger, crushed finely(optional) 3-4 green chillies chopped finely 1 sprig curry leaves A pinch of hing Salt to taste Method Apply salt to the bhendi and deep fry in hot oil till dark brown and set aside. Heat 2 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds, ginger, green chilles, curry leaves and the hing. Fry till the mustard starts crackling. Add the fried bhendi and stir for 2 minutes. Take it from the fire. Add the buttermilk and salt to taste(remember that the okra is already salted).Mix well. Add some water if the gojju is too thick. Eat with plain rice and dal.

116. Sweet Mango Chutney
Ingredients 3 large mangoes, peeled and cut into chunks (Use slightly ripened ones) 2 tsp sugar or jaggery 1 tsp lime juice 5 large dates, pitted 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted 1/2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted Salt to taste 2 tsp cooking oil Method Peel the mango and cut it into small chunks. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry the chunks till they turn mushy. Drain, mash well and set aside to cool. Blend together the rest of the ingredients with the mango without adding any water, to a smooth paste. Adjust salt if needed. Remove from blender and store in an airtight container. This chutney keeps well for over a week when properly stored in the fridge.

1 tsp mustard seeds A pinch of hing (asoefetida) Salt to taste 6 tsp cooking oil Method Peel the mango and cut it into small chunks. Heat about 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry the chunks till they turn mushy. Drain, mash well and set aside. Roast the methi, saunf, cumin and coriander seeds and crush coarsely using a mortar and pestle. This is how powders are traditionally made. But if you are of the impatient kind, go ahead and use the coffee grinder but make sure that the powder is a little coarse. Set aside. Heat the remaining oil and add the hing and mustard. When the mustard crackles, add the ginger and green chillies and fry for about 1-2 minutes. Add the mango, powdered masala, salt to taste, lime rinds and lime juice. Bring to a boil on a low flame. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container. If boiled and cooled well, since no water is used in making this dish, it should keep well for more than a week. Store it in airtight containers in the fridge.

118. Puli Inji
Ingredients 2" piece of ginger 2 large balls of tamarind 12 cloves of garlic 3 red chillies 3 green chillies 1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds, roasted finely 1 tsp mustard seeds, for seasoning 1 tsp cumin seeds A small piece of jaggery Salt to taste Method Roast the cumin seeds lightly and powder to a fine paste with the red chillies and half the fenugreek and garlic. Chop the ginger, green chillies and remaining garlic. Soak the tamarind in some hot water and extract the juice. Put in the chopped ingredients and continue boiling. In a pan, heat 3 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds and the remaining fenugreek seeds. When the mustard crackles, add the ground masala and fry till the masala turns color. Put in the chopped ingredients, jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind juice. Bring to a boil and boil till the juice is thick. Bottle when cool. 70

1/2 cup cornflour,baking powder, salt, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon garlic/ginger paste, 1 tsp chilli powder, turmeric powder and 1 tablespoon green chilli paste. Mix well with water, till you get the consistency of thin batter. Dip the cauliflower flowerets in this batter and deep fry in oil, drain and set aside. In a open pan, add some oil and when it smokes add the remaining garlic and ginger paste. The minute it starts turning brown, add the chopped onions and fry only till they start becoming translucent. Now add the chopped garlic and green chilli paste and fry for a minute. Add the soy souce and stir for a minute. Bring down the heat and then add the cornflour-water paste and the red coloring. The mixture will start to thicken......keep on stirring on low heat and when the mixture turns thick enough, add the chopped corainder leaves and stir for 20 seconds. The leaves should not lose thier color. Take this mixture from the heat and pour it onto the fried caulilower. If you desire, you can add the cauliflower when the mixture is in the pan itself in the last stage. But this will turn the cauliflower soggy.. It all depends on how you like to eat the Cauliflower manchurian...soft or crispy...

and fry for 30-45 seconds. Now add all the vegetables,including the cauliflower and sprinkle some water on it. Keep covered and cook on a low flame till the vegetables are cooked. This might take approximately 15-20 minutes. Keep sprinkling water periodically to speeden up the process, but do not add excess water as it will ruin the pulao. When the vegetables are done, transfer the vegeables to a big mixing dish, add all the boiled rice, salt to taste and the blended masala. Mix thoroughly and then heat it either in a microwave or on low heat on the cooking range.It is heated again to let the salt spread across the dish. Serve with Raita.

sesame seeds and curry leaves. When the seeds start crackling, add the tamarind juice and salt/jaggery. Mix well. Add salt to taste. The liquid will start boiling. Now add the powdered masala and simmer till you get a sticky masala. Heat through and cool. This will keep well for a month in a airtight container if refrigerated. Mix this with plain cooked rice to get puliyogare or tamarind rice.

127. Puliyogare
Ingredients 2 cups cooked white rice 2 tbsp Puliyogare Mix (See "Pickles and Spice Mixes" section) Salt to taste Tamarind juice for taste Method Mix the cooked rice with the Puliyogare mix. Add salt to taste. You can add extra tamarind juice and mix if you need the dish to be more sour. Heat through and serve.

Method Boil the potatoes. Peel them and prick the potatoes with a fork. Fry the potatoes in hot oil till they turn slightly brown. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in a shallow pan and fry the onions to light brown. Grind the coconut, poppy seeds, cardamon, ginger and green chillies to a paste. Add the paste to the onions. Fry till the oil seperates. Add chilli powder,cumin powder and dhania powder and stir for 5 mins. Add the yoghurt , salt and the fried potatoes. Add enough water to cover the potatoes and simmer till the gravy is thick for about 10 minutes. Now add the garam masala powder and mix well. Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves. Eat with chapathi/nan.

3 tbsp. roasted groundnuts powdered coarsely 3 tbsp. grated fresh coconut, roasted 1 tsp cloves, roasted 2 tsp red chilli powder, roasted 2 tsp dhania-jeera(coriander-cumin seed mixture ), roasted and powdered 1 small bunch coriander leaves, chopped and roasted salt to taste 2-3 tbsp. oil 1/2 tsp each mustard and cumin seeds 1/2 cup curds(plain unflavored yoghurt) Method Wash and the clean brinjals. Make 2 slits to form a cross. Rub them with some curd and salt and set aside. Mix all the roasted masala in the blender with some curd to make a smooth filling. Stuff some of this mixture into each slit of the brinjals. Heat oil in a heavy or non-stick pan, add the mustard, cumin seeds wait to splutter, slide in the brinjals slowly. Any mixture which is remaining can be now added to cover the vegetable. Add some water. Simmer till the vegetable is tender and done.

133. Bhaingan Bhartha
Ingredients 1 large eggplant 1 medium o nion, finely chopped 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves 2 tomatoes, chopped finely 4 green chillies, chopped finely 1 cup cooked green peas 1 1/2 tsp dhania-jeera ( cumin -corainder) powder 1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp amchoor(mango powder) Salt to taste 1 tsp sugar 3 tbsp cooking oil Method Rub 1/2 tsp oil on the eggplant and bake in an oven till the skin shrinks and liquid starts oozing out of the vegetable. This will take around 30-45 minutes at 400 deg F. Take it out of the oven and peel it. Mash the baigan and add the salt to it. Heat the remaining oil and add the chopped onion. Fry till the onions turns translucent. Add the green chillies and the tomatoes and fry till the mixture becomes homogeneous. Now add all the spices and the sugar and fry for a minute. Add the baigan and mix well. Now add the peas and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chopped coriander leaves and some water to get 79

When the g ravy comes to a boil, add the koftas. Heat through and serve. The koftas should be put in just before eating the dish or else they will turn soggy.

135. Home-made Paneer
Ingredients 5 cups of whole milk 2 tsps vinegar Method Boil the milk in a open pan. When it's boiling, add the vinegar and wait for the milk to curdle completely. Take it off the fire and let it sit for 10 minutes. Pour it onto a cotton/muslin cloth and tie it with a tight knot. When all the water is drained from the paneer,shape it into a large rectangular block,transfer it into another piece of paper/cloth, wrap it properly and refrigerate it overnight. Cut into cubes and deep fry in hot oil. Drain and store in the frezer.

136. Rasmalai
Ingredients 32 oz ricotta cheese(or an equivalent amt of freshly made Paneer) 10 oz powdered Confectioner's sugar 2 small packets Half and Half 1 tsp powdered cardamom 1/2 tsp rose water 2 tsp slivered almonds 2 tsp chopped pistachios 6 cups water 3 cups sugar Method If you are using the Ricotta cheese, mix together the confectioner's sugar and cheese. Spread on a baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for about 1 1/2 hrs till the cheese turns light brown and loses all moisture. Take it out and let it cool. When cool, shape into small flat balls. If you are using paneer, mix the paneer and sugar and shape it into flat balls. Bring the water and sugar to a boil to yield sugar syrup.The syrup should not be too thick. Insert the balls one by one in the syrup and warm them up. They should become spongy. In the meantime, boil the half and half with the rose water. 81

Set aside. Add the cardamom and nuts to the half and half. Mix well. Add the cooked balls to the half and half. Let it stay immersed for about 1 hr. You can either chill it or serve it at room temperature.

137. Coconut Laddoo
Ingredients 1 can condensed milk 2 cups of dessicated coconut 1 tablespoon sugar Method Mix the condensed milk and the coconut in a bowl. Add the sugar and stir on a low flame for about 4 minutes. Set aside till the mixture has slightly cooled down. Shape into laddoos(small round balls). Roll each laddoo in a little dessicated coconut. Store in airtight jars.

2 tbsp cashewnuts 2 tbsp raisins 5 cardamoms powdered 2 cloves powdered 1 small piece nutmeg grated or powdered A pinch of saffron Method Roast dry the green gram dhal for a couple of minutes. Cook the rice and green gram dhal with 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup milk in the microwave and set aside. Dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low heat till the jaggery melts. Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt. Put the syrup once more on the heat and stir till it becomes slightly sticky. Add the cooked rice and dhal. Heat the 4 tbsp ghee. Fry the cashewnuts and raisins and add t o the pongal. Add the powdered cardamoms,cloves nutmeg and saffron. Mix well. Serve hot.

Roast the rava in the 2 tbsp ghee till light golden in colour. Mix the sugar,roasted rava and cardamom and powder fine in a dry grinder. Heat the remaining ghee,fry the cashewnuts and raisins. Add to the rava-sugar mixture. Shape into tight laddoos(small round balls). The laddus can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.

Put the mixture in a microwaveable dish and cook on low heat in the microwave for about an hour. Transfer to a open flat dish and top with sliced almonds and cashewnuts. Eat when cooled down to room temperature. If you use low-fat cheese and milk and cut down on the sugar, you have a very low-calorie delicious and nutritious dessert.

142. Mango Shrikand
Ingredients 1 16 oz container plain unflavoured yoghurt (or home -made curds) 1/2 cup sugar 8 oz mango pulp 1/2 tsp cardammom powder 1 tsp sliced pistachios 1/2 tbsp mixed dryfruits Method Whip together the sugar and yoghurt till smooth and creamy. Strain the mixture through a muslin cloth to remove all liquid. Strain the mango pulp in a similar way to remove most of the liquid. Mix in the strained mango pulp and the cardamom powder. Pour into a large container and chill in the refridgerator for about 3-4 hrs. Serve in individual dessert bowls topped with pistachios and dry fruits. This will serve 2 people.

Add the tomatoes and the remaining vinegar. Stir continuously as the mixture comes to a boil. When the pickle is almost done, the oil begins to float at the top. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Store in a clean bottle. Will keep for a year.

144. Rasam Powder
Ingredients 1 tbsp toor dal 5-6 dry red chillies 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tsp peppercorns 1 tsp dry curry leaves Ghee(clarified butter) for roasting Method Roast each of the above till they turn aromatic. Powder to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and use as required. This will keep well for months in a airtight container. You can make a larger quantity of this by using the above ingredients in the same ratio.

145. Garam Masala Powder
Ingredients 4 cloves 4-5 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 7 peppercorns 1 bayleaf Ghee(clarified butter) Method Roast each of the above till they turn aromatic. Powder to a fine powder using a coffee grinder and use as required. This will keep well for months in a airtight container. You can make a larger quantity of this by using the above ingredients in the same ratio.

Oil for seasoning Water for diluting the buttermilk if needed Method Add 1/2 tsp of turmeric to the buttermilk and mix well. Add water if the buttermilk is too thick. Add salt and heat on a low flame till the buttermilk reaches room temperature. Take it from the fire and set aside. Roast in a little oil, one by one, the coconut, the remaining turmeric,jeera, coriander and green chillies. Blend to a smooth paste. Add this coconut paste to the warm buttermilk, put it back on the stove and heat for approximately 4-5 minutes. Season it with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Delicious when eaten with hot plain rice. Cannot be re-heated on direct fire.

1 cup fresh coconut, shredded 1 tsp mustard seeds 1/2 tsp cumin seeds 1 sprig curry leaves 2 tsp oil for seasoning Method Cut the beans into longish pieces. Boil in a little water till done. Drain and set aside. Blend together the coconut and green chillies. Add this paste to the buttermilk and mix well. Add the beans and salt to taste. Dilute with some water if needed. Bring to a boil on a low flame. Season with mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Other vegetables like eggplant,cucumber,cayote etc can also be used for this preparation.

2. Grind into a fine paste. 3. Add salt, asafetida, curry leaves, cumin seeds and crushed peppercorns to the batter and mix well. 4. Heat oil in a Kadhai. 5. Wet your palms and take batter into the palms. Shape into a ball and make a hole with the thumb in the center like a doughnut. This is now called a vada. 6. Deep fry the vadas in medium hot oil until golden brown and crisp. 7. Serve hot with Sambhar and Coconut chutney.

3. Mix flour, salt and mint powder, add water to make a semi hard dough. 4. Knead well, cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. 5. Divide into 8 equal portions, 6. Roll out each portion with a rolling pin to approximately six inch diameter. 7. Cook rolled portion (paratha) on a Tawa (griddle plate), on moderate heat for 3 minutes. Turn it and smear half a table spoon of oil on paratha. Repeat the same on the other side. 8. Cook on low heat till golden brown. Serve hot with Dal Pakhtooni or curry of your choice.

1. Grind mustard seeds to a coarse powder. 2. Cut limes into eight pieces. 3. Slit green chilies and cut them into half inch long pieces. 4. Mix powdered mustard seeds, turmeric powder and salt with green chili and lime pieces. 5. Transfer this to a sterilized glass bottle or an earthenware jar. Pour oil on top and shake the bottle well. Note: This pickle can be enjoyed within 5-6 days of preparation also.

powder. 4. Heat mustard oil until smoking point, remove and let it cool. 5. Mix fenugreek seeds, fennel and mustard powder with red chili powder. Add half of the mustard oil to this mixture and rub this spice and oil mixture to the mango pieces. Mix thoroughly. 6. Put this into an earthenware jar and pour the remaining mustard oil. Cover the jar with a muslin cloth and keep it in the sun for 5-6 days. 7. Make sure you stir the contents o f the jar for the first two weeks at least once a day. This is to ensure that the mango pieces are always in contact with the oil. Note: In most of the Indian pickles, salt and oil are used as preservatives.

1. Knead and mash Chhena, add 2 tablespoons flour and make a dough. 2. Divide it into 12 equal portions, make balls and press between your palms to flatten them. Keep aside. 3. Dissolve 500 gms. sugar in the same quantity of water, bring it to a boil and add rest of the flour dissolved in water. 4. Now add the dough portions (rasmalai) in it and cook over a high flame for 10 minutes. Add half a cup of water and again bring it to a boil. Cook for another 3 minutes. 5. Remove them and keep in a thin sugar syrup prepared from 250 gms of sugar and 500 mls. of water. 6. Now take milk in a heavy bottomed pan, bring it to a boil, reduce the flame, stir continuously. Simmer until it is reduced to a thick consistency. 7. Add rest of the sugar and keep on a medium flame till the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the flame and refrigerate for an hour. 8. Squeeze the rasmalai and put them into chilled milk. Keep in refrigerator for another half an hour. 9. Serve cold, garnished with sliced pistachio nuts.

1. Mix flour, soda and Yogurt. Add some water and make a batter. 2. Leave it overnight to ferment. 3. Mix it, add a little water if required and make it into a pouring consistency. 4. Prepare sugar syrup with equal quantity of sugar and water. Add green cardamom powder and cook it for 20-25 minutes. 5. Heat Ghee in a Kadhai. Pour batter into a jalebi cloth and then pour it into medium hot Ghee giving jalebi shapes. 6. Cook it from both sides. Remove and keep it in sugar syrup for at least 5 minutes before serving. Tip: For jalebi cloth, take some stiff cloth and make a 3 mm hole in the center.

1. Heat milk in a thick bottomed pan. Bring it to a boil. Simmer and reduce it to get a thick consistency. Stir continuously to avoid milk sticking to the bottom of the pan. 2. Add charoli seeds and sugar. 3. Cook on a slow fire for 10 minutes. 4. Add green cardamom powder . 5. Pour into a serving dish and serve cold

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162. Sweet pongal
Sakkarai Pongal Take rice, moongdal, gram dal in the ratio 2:2:1.Add water and steam in pressure cooker.Take vellam (amount should be 2/3 of cooked mixture) and dissolve in little water so that it just completely dissolves and heat it separately. Add the liquid part of this juice (which will be at the top) to cooked mixture. Roast cashewnuts, raisins, grated coconut in ghee and add this to the mixture and stir well.Add some extra ghee while serving.

163. Dal payasam
Moong dal - 1 Powdered jaggery - 1 Gran dal - little(1 spoon) Steam moong dal and gram dal in a pressure cooker.Mix jaggery in a little water(so that it just dissolves ) and bring it to boil. Add the cooked dal mixture and heat for a little while. Add cardomom powder.Roast some cashews in ghee and add it to the mixture.

164. Kozhukkattai
Outer cover: Rice flour - 1, water 1 Heat water to boil.Pour 2 tsp sesame oil in it and add rice flour with constant stirring so that it becomes thick. Cover and keep aside for 1/2 hour.Then take even sized balls of this and shape it into a hollow hemisphere. Inner stuffing(Poornam): Mix 1 cup grated coconut, 1 cup powdered jaggery, leave for 5 min.Heat this mixture in low heat with constant stirring Stuff the poornam in the hemisphere and close it by extending the covering flour.Place these in a plate and steam in a pressure cooker or a large vessel until fully cooked

165. Poli
Poornam:Boil gram-dal until half-cooked and drain the water.Add jaggery, grated coconut, cardomom and grind.Make it tghick by heating in low heat for a little while. Make this into round balls. Add a pinch of salt to maida and knead it by adding a few tsp of sesame oil and pat it on a plastic sheet into round flat shape.place a ball of poornam on it, mix well and pat it again.Heat a griddle, put the poli and add a spoon of ghee around it.Turn over until both sides are cooked well.

Take maida:rawa in the ratio 1:1, each 1/4 kg, add a pinch of salt, add minimum water and knead tightly. Make this flour into even sized balls and roll in the form of pooris or chappathis. Place 2 tsp of the poornam on this and fold it sealing on the sides, so that it becomes semi-circular in shape. Deep fry this in oil.

167. Baadhusha
Make sugar syrup by mixing 150g sugar with equal amount of water and cooking for about 5 minutes. To 100g of ghee add a pinch of salt, a pinch of baking soda and mix until bubbles appear. Add 100g of maida to this and mix by sprinkling water in steps so that it becomes soft. Make this into uniform balls and flatten it lightly on both sides. Deep fry this in oil and when it it cooked, put it immediately into the sugar syrup for about 5 minutes and the remove it on to a plate. Repeat the procedure with all the balls. You can decorate it on top with grated coconut.

169. Omappodi
Soak omam for 1/2 hour and grind into a very smooth paste.Drain the water completely. Mix gram flour 500g, rice flour - 3 tsp, omam paste 2 tsp, salt, 2 tsp ghee and 1/2 tsp asafoetida and mix well. Use this flour and omappodi achu(very small holes) and squeeze out the flour in boiling oil and turn over until fully cooked and crisp.

171. Thattai
Soak 4 tsp of gram dal for one hour. Slightly dry roast 500 g of rice flour. Add 1 cup grated coconut, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp asafoetida, 1 tsp salt, 4 tsp sesame seeds, to the rice flour and mix well.Add the soaked dal and minimum water to this and make into a thick paste. Take a ball of this paste and pat it on a plastic sheet of paper . Make it thin. Deep fry these in boiling oil. Turn over until it is fully cooked and crisp. 95

172. Thenkuzhal
Rice flour - 250g, urud powder - 4 tsp, cumin seeds, sesame seeds - each 1 tsp Mix the ingredients first with a tsp of ghee and then with minimum water into a thick paste. Then place a large ball of this in thenkuzhal achu(medium sized round holes) and squeeze in boiling oil as in curd murukku . Urud powder Dry roast urud dal and grind into a very nice powder.

Method For syrup: 1.Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil. 2.When sugar dissolves, add milk. 3.Boil for 5 minutes till scum forms on top. 4.Strain and return to fire. 5.Add colour and boil till sticky but no thread has formed. 6.Add cardamom powder and mix. Keep aside. For boondi: 1.Mix flour and milk to a smooth batter. 96

2.Heat ghee in a heavy frying pan. 3.Hold strainer on top with one hand. 4.With the other pour some batter all over the holes. 5.Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot ghee. 6.Stir with another strainer and remove when light golden. 7.Keep aside. Repeat for remaining batter. 8.Immerse boondi in syrup. 9.Drain any excess syrup. 10.Spread in a large plate. Sprinkle few tsp. hot water over it. 11.Cover and keep for 5 minutes. 12.Shape in laddoos with moist palms. 13.Cool and keep open to dry, before storing in containers.

174. Kozhakattai
1 full coconut 200 gm grated coconut 2 or 3 spoons water mix all 3 and keep n sim in stove. Powder elaichi and add ghee before bringing down. When you touch water and then the jaggery, it should not stick. 2/3 cup water, little salt, 1 big spoon oil, rice flour allow water to boil, add flour, keep in sim and cook till it sweats. When steam comes, stop and bring down. Mix the batter, it will roll into a boll. Leave for 15 minutes. Then stuff and steam kozhakattai in cooker.

mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add red chillies and fry nicely. 4.Put the brinjal pieces, salt and turmuric. 5.Fry them for a while and cover the pan, with a plate. Put some water in the plate. 6.After the brinjals are half cooked, put the tamarind juice, ginger-coriander paste in the brinjal pieces and mix well. 7.Close the pan again, but stir it frequently. 8.After 5 or 6 minutes, the curry is ready. 9.Sprinkle the coriander leaves and serve. 10.Tastes good with white rice and ghee.

176. Green Pulao
Ingredients One bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped A handful of fresh mint leaves green chillies 8 nos ginger and garlic paste 1 tspn. garam masala 1 tsp salt to taste onion 2 chopped finely oil 4 tspns rice 2 cups (boiled beforehand) water green peas a handful boiled potatoes - fried in oil Method 1.Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, together with a little water. Keep aside. 2.Fry onions till golden brown, add garam masala and ginger and garlic paste. 3.Fry till oil seperates then add the ground ingredients with a little water. 4.Let it cook till you get a nice aroma and it should thicken. 5.Add salt to taste. Then you can add peas and the fried potatoes. 6.Take rice which should be boiled well before and let it cool. 7.Then you add the masala and stir well till the masala has spread out on the rice. 8.Serve hot with any veg or non-veg dish.

1.Cut the baigan into thin round slices. 2.Mix chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt thoroughly. 3.Heat the frying pan with the peanut oil. 4.Take one slice of baigan at a time apply the mixture to both the sides and fry it. 5.Serve it hot with chapatis.

178. Kozukkattai (Stuffed Rice Balls)
Ingredients Rice flour 1 cup Water 1 1/4 cup a pinch of salt 1 tsp oil Method 1.Boil the water adding the salt and the oil. 2.Add the rice flour and stir it until it forms a lump. 3.Cooking the rice flour should take only 2 mts. 4.As soon as it is done, cover it for about 10 mts. 5.Knead it well until its very smooth. 6.Make little cups and stuff it with the stuffing you have prepared and steam it for about 10 mts. Stuffing: 1.There are many varieties of stuffing. The most popular is sweet coconut stuffing. 2 cups fresh coconut grated, 1/2 cup jaggery powder, one pinch of cardomom powder. 2.Put all these ingredients in a heavy bottomed kadai with 2 table spoon of water and keep on stirring for about 10 mts or until the moisture dries. It should not be too dry either. Make small balls about the size of a cherry. This can be prepared a day or two ahead and stored in the refregirator.

3.Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard and cumin seeds. 4.Add cut onions and green chillies , fry until onion is light brown in color and add green peas. Pour little water and allow the mixture to boil till the mixture is dry. 5.Add the boiled rice and coriander leaves into the mixture and mix well.

asafoetida, sliced green chiles and tamarind extract. Stir well. Remove from heat. Now add salt and sesame seed powder to the skillet and add it all to the bowl containing rice. Mix thoroughly. Serve with Verusanagapappu Pacchadi or plain yoghurt. Note: You can adjust the amount of tamarind extract according to your taste.

a pinch of sugar salt and chilli powder to taste 100 g. coriander leaves, chopped fine a marble sized ball of tamarind, soaked in a little water black masala powder (branded curry powder) to taste MIX together gram flour and wheat flour. Add salt, asafoetida, 60 ml. hot oil and enough water. Knead to a stiff dough. Keep it aside. Roast the grated coconut, sesame seeds and poppy seeds and grind to a powder. Add sugar, salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves to the masala powder to prepare the filling for bhakar wadi. Add tamarind pulp and black masala powder and mix well. Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a thin rectangular shaped chappati. Spread the filling all over the chappati and roll up the dough with the filling into a tight cylindrical shape. Seal the edges with a little water. Cut into three cm. long pieces and deep fry in hot oil till brown and crisp. Remove from oil and store in an airtight container.

For the tempering: 3 tbs (45 ml) sesame oil 1/2 tsp (2 g) cummin seeds 1/2 tsp (2 g) mustard seeds 1/4 tsp (1 g) fenugreek seeds 24 curry leaves WASH and slit the bitter gourds on one side. Remove the seeds and rub with salt. Arrange on a tilting tray and keep aside for at least an hour. (Keep the bitter gourds overnight if you prefer them to be even less bitter). Put enough water in a pan. Add salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric powder. Stir and bring to a boil. Add the bitter gourds and blanch them until soft. Drain and keep aside. To prepare the filling: Remove the brown skin and roughly chop the coconut. Dry roast the coconut, groundnuts, sesame seeds and cummin seeds in a frying pan until each emits its unique aroma. Hold the onions with tongs and roast them directly over the flame until the skin is charred. Cool, peel and roughly chop the onions. Grind all these ingredients, except paneer, with 1/4th cup water to fine paste.Add paneer, ginger, jaggery, corriander powder and chilli powder to the paste and mix well. To prepare the tempering: Heat oil in a frying pan and season with cummin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir over medium heat until they begin to crackle. Add curry leaves and stir. Pour over the paste, mix well and divide into 12 equal portions. Put a portion of the filling into each of the blanched bitter gourds. Arrange them in a greased roasting tray with the slit side on top. Cover with foil. Punch a few holes in the foil and cook on dum in the pre-heated oven at 275oF for 30 minutes, basting at regular intervals. Remove and uncover. To serve: Remove to a serving dish and serve with cummin-tempered whole potatoes and buttered seasonal vegetables on the side.

serve with basmati rice. 4 servings, less than 98 calories GARAM MASALA 2 oz. black cardamom pods, 1 oz piece of cinnamon stick, 1 oz. cloves, 2 oz. peppercorns Heat a heavy skillet, reduce heat, add pods and cinnamon. Move them around for two minutes. Add clves and peppercorn, and shuffle for another minute. Turn off heat, but continue shuffling until the heat is out of the pan. Pour roasted spices into grinder and grind til you have a fine powder. If not fine, strain it, and discard what won't pass through strainer.

189. Garam Masala
5 tsp coriander seeds 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 1 tsp whole cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp green cardomon pods toast coriander and cumin seeds for 3-5 min. combine w/other ingredients and grind in mortar/pestle (or blender which works great for me). Store in a bottle for up to 6 months. This is a great spice mixture! But normly I don't have those spices on hand so I cook without it. But you might consider it worth investing in as its a neat combination of spices for cooking.

Procedure (Koftas): Crumble the paneer and knead very well. Mix the paneer, plain flour, baking powder, chillies, coriander and salt. Shape into small balls and deep fry in ghee. Keep aside these koftas. Procedure (Gravy) Cut the tomatoes into big pieces, add 4 teacups of water and cook. When soft, prepare a soup by passing through a sieve. Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the paste very well. Add the c hilli powder and fry again for 1 minute. Add the tomato soup, cream and salt and boil the gravy for at least 10 to 15 minutes.

How to serve Just before serving, add the koftas. Serve hot with parathas, puris or rice. Note: You can add 1 teacup of boiled green peas to the gravy if you like.

METHOD :
1. Boil milk and cool it. 2. Add vinegar to the milk, slowly little by little and keep stirring. 3. Filter the mixture using a muslin cloth and squeeze out the water (whey). 4. Place the cheese (paneer) on a board and while still hot, knead it till no granules are left. 5. Repeat the process after adding the flour to it. 6. Make small balls from the mixture and flatten it. 7. Make thin sugar syrup. In a small bowl mix little flour with water and add this to the boiling sugar syrup. 8. Add crushed cardamoms to the syrup. 9. Add the rasmalais to the sugar syrup. Garnish with grated pistachios.

METHOD :
1. Warm milk . Add ghee and sugar and stir till well dissolved. 2. Add this mixture to the flour and bind to a hard dough. 3. Add sesame seeds and knead well. Divide the dough into large balls. 4. Roll out on a board into thick rounds. Cut into small diamond shaped pieces. (This can be done by cutting it horizontally into strips and then cut it across in a slanted fashion) 5. Deep fry in hot oil till light brown in color.

METHOD :
1. Heat the ghee in a pan. 2. Add besan part by part and mix it well. Keep on low flame. Keep stirring to avoid burning. 3. When the aroma comes, remove from heat and cool. 4. Add the powdered sugar to it and mix well. 5. Add the almonds and shape the mixture into balls.

METHOD :
1. Pass the cashewnut powder through a fine sieve, then fry in oil for a couple of mins. and keep aside. 2. Add khoya to cold milk. Separately, add the nutmeg with a little milk and keep aside. 3. Fry the coconut in oil till it turns a light brown. 4. In a heavy bottomed vessel, boil the milk and add the sugar. 5. Stir till it dissolves, then add cardamom, saffron and nutmeg. Add the khoya, cashewnut pwd, grated coconut to the milk mixture and stir thoroughly. 6. Continue cooking on a low flame, stirring constantly. When the mixture leaves the side of the vessel, remove and spoon contents into a greased thali. 7. Smoothen with the back of a flat spoon. Garnish with varak, almonds and pistachios. 8. Cut into diamond shaped pieces and serve.

METHOD :
1. Heat the ghee and fry the khoya stirring all the time till it turns a light brown. Keep aside. 2. Boil the milk and add the sugar. Stir till the sugar dissolves. 3. Remove from heat and mix well with the khoya. Add the dryfruits , raisins and cardamom pwd. and mix well. 112

4. Spoon the mixture into a greased plate and smoothen with a flat spoon. 5. Cut into diamond shaped pieces and garnish with almonds and pistachios.

METHOD :
1. Wash and drain the dal. Fry it in hot ghee for 2-3 mins. Keeo aside. 2. Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and keep aside. 3. Cut 5-6 coconut rings and chop it further to small pieces. Fry it in ghee and keep aside. 4. Grate the remaining coconut and grind it with 1 cup hot water. 5. Drain and reserve the coconut milk. This will be thicker. 5. Again add 1 cup hot water to the ground and drained coconut and grind. 6. Squeeze the milk out and reserve in a separate bowl from the previous. 7. Add this second milk to the fried dal and pressure cook it. 8. In the meantime, boil 1- 1/2 cup water and add the jaggery to it. 9. Boil it till the liquid obtains a thick consistency. Pour this into the boiled dal mixture and stir well. 10. Cook for a few mins. Add cardamom pwd. and the fried cocunut pieces, cashews and raisins. 11. Keep strring all the time. Add the thick coconut milk and mix well. Remove from heat and serve hot. 12. It tastes great if eaten cold too.

202. Red Beet Paratha
Ingredients 2 cups wheat flour 2 tbsp chana flour 1 red beet 1 bunch of coriander leaves 1 tbsp oil 2 tbsp sesame seeds 1 tbsp red chilli powder or 5 to 6 green chillies (optional) 1/2 tbsp haldi 1/4 tbsp asafoetida and salt to taste Method Grate the red beet and finely chop the coriander. Add all the above listed ingredients and make a dough out of it. Take a small portion of the dough and roll them into parathas. Roast them onto the tava by adding little ghee to it . Delicious Parathas are ready and tastes very good with spicy tomato chutney.

203. Green Onion Bhurji
Ingredients
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4 small bunches of green onions (onion bulbs with the leaves on) 3 eggs 1 teaspoon chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder Salt Oil Method Clean the green onions and cut the onion bulbs from the green leaves and chop the bulbs finely. Keep aside Chop the leaves finely. Take oil in a wide mouthed pan and saute the chopped onion bulbs for some time till they become soft. Add the chopped leaves and mix well. Close with a tight fitting lid. Decrease flame and let it cook till the leaves become soft. After the leaves get cooked thoroughly , add chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well. Beat the eggs and add to the pan. Mix the whole mixture well till the eggs get cooked and the mixture is dry. Add salt to taste . Serve piping hot. Note : Do not add any water to the onion leaves. They should cook in their own juice.

204. Mysore Bonda
Ingredients 1 cup All purpose flour 2 Green chilies (finely chopped) 1 small onion ( finely chopped) 1 big spoon full of rice flour Sour curd ( to make the batter) Salt to taste A pinch of baking soda Chopped coriander leaves (optional) Method Mix all the above ingredients using the curd to a bajji dough consistency. Keep this aside for 3 hrs. Heat some oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot enough, drop the batter in oil and deep fry them till golden brown.
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Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup. Make sure the curd is sour enough. These bondas are very crispy and tasty too.

205. Dahi Wada
Ingredients For the wadas Udad dal (Black gram dal) 1 cup Mung dal (Green gram dal) 1/4 cup Salt to taste Method for Wadas Soak the two dals for 7-8 hours or overnight. Grind it to a smooth paste. Add salt to taste. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadahi and add spoonfuls of dal batter and fry until the wadas are golden brown. Drop the hot wads in a bowl of cold water and leave for about 3-4 minutes. Take each wada out from water, squeeze the water out and set aside. For the Dahi (yogurt) Dahi (yogurt) 5 cups (You can use homemade yogurt or low-fat yogurt from the market) Green chillies, chopped 1 tsp Ginger grated 1/2 tsp curry leaves 7-8 Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp Asafoetida pinch Salt to taste Sugar 4 tsps (yogurt should taste little sweet) Method for making dahi Blend the yogurt with little water until it is smooth. Add sugar, salt, green chillies and ginger. Make a tarka (seasoning) of mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and add to yogurt. Keep the yogurt in refrigerator until it is chilled. Serving the wadas
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Arrange the squeezed wadas in a deep dish. Pour the yogurt on the wadas such that all the wads are covered well by the yogurt. Sprinle red chiili powder, roasted jeera powder and black salt (sanchal).Serve with sweet tamarind(imli) chutney.

206. Rasmalai
Ingredients Makes: 15 pieces Shelflife: Refrigerator fresh 2-3 days. 4 Measuring cup milk for chenna (2% milk) 3 measuring cup milk for Ras 4 - 4 1/2 tbsp. sugar for Ras 1 cup sugar 3 cups of water safforn, cardomom, pista, almonds lemon juice Method First keep the 3 cups of milk for ras to boil until it reamins 1 3/4 cup. Bring 4 cups of milk to boil. Now to curdle the milk add lemonjuice to it stirring continously. Then drain it in athin muslin cloth or handkerchief. Hold it covered with cloth in the running water.Drain the excess water by pressing the cloth there must not be water remaining. In a pressure cooker take 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Take the chenna out of the cloth in a dish , mash it and make around 15 small size of balls out of it Toss that balls in the pressure cooker and bring two whistle. In the mean time see the milk for ras may be ready. Add the sugar for ras to it and add cardomon, pista, almond and safforn to it.Let it cool aside As the pressure cooker is warm now open it take out the balls of chenna with the spoon ina dish and let the water drain by pressing it little and let it cook. When the milk is cool add chenna balls to it . Refrigerate it. And it is ready to serve. Isn't it quick and easy * while putting chenna balls inthe pressure cooker do not put one onthe other. Depending on the size of the pressure cooker I put 12 pieces at a time

2 tablespoon Lemon juice 1/4 cup Water 1 tablespoon Oil 2tablespoon Chopped Corinder 1 table spoon Grated Coconut Method Mix togather besan, salt, oil, lemonjuice and water. In a pressure cooker or big vassle put 1 glass water and keep a mesh upside down. (so that water should not touch the dhokla pan) Grease a baking dish (it should fit in the vassle or cooker) Now add Eno and mix well and pour this mixture right away in the greased pan. Steam it for 20 minutes. Prepare the tampring adding rai, greenchillies and curryleaves in hot oil. Mix togather water,sugar and lemonjuice and pour into tempring. boil it. Take out dhokla and cut into pieces. Pour the tapering mixture over it. Garnish with grated coconut and Coriander.

Chop onion and tomatoes into small pieces. Cut the boiled potato into evenly shaped cubes. Heat oil in a pan.Add the cumin seeds and asofetida. Add the onions,peas and tomatoes. Fry for 2-3 mins.Add the potato cubes and allow to cook on medium flame for 5 mins. Once the onions and tomatoes are cooked, add the spinach-chilli paste to the above. Add turmeric powder and salt to taste. Simmer it for 10 mins. Tastes good with rotis/parathas.

Cook the rice and dal together either in a pressure cooker or in a vessel directly on the stove. The two should be cooked till soft. In a seperate kadai add the ghee and when it is hot fry the cashew pieces in it. When the pieces turn brown add the crushed peppercorn and the cumin. When they splutter add ginger and fry. Add the cooked mixture of the rice and dal to it with salt according to your taste.Mix well. Add a teaspoon of ghee over it in the end before serving. This can be eaten with coconut or onion chutney. The rice and the dal can be cooked earlier and the rest of it just takes 5minutes.

Use some oil in your palm of the hand to form the balls. Meanwhile heat some oil in the pan . See that the oil is not very hot. Keep Medium Flame. Deep fry the Kofta balls. Set them aside. For the Tomato curry , I would highly recommend to cook the curry about 3 hrs before you serve. Chop the tomatoes in small pieces. Cook them with salt for about 15 minutes on medium flame. Add the Tomato paste. Keep on Stirring . Add water and ginger and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients for the Tomato curry. 15 minutes before serving Put the Koftas in the serving dish and pour the Tomato Curry. Keep it in the oven at warm till you serve. Garnish with Fresh Cilantro or Paneer.

1. Mix the cornflour with 6 teacups of water. Add the paste, corn and Ajinomoto powder and cook in a pressure cooker until done. 2. Add the vegetables, butter and cheese and boil for a few minutes. Serve hot with chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce or with grated cheese.

218. Green Peas Skin Soup
Preparation time: 10 minutes . Cooking time: 10 minutes . Serves 6. 6 teacups skin of green peas 1 tablespoon green peas 1 chopped onion 3 teacups skim milk 2 teaspoons butter salt and pepper to taste 1. Heat the butter and fry the onion for 1 minute. 2. Add the green peas skin and green peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 3. Add the milk and ½ teacup of water and cook in a pressure cooker till the first whistle. 4. Blend in a mixer. 5. Strain to separate the stock from the skin. Discard the skin. 6. Boil the stock for 1 minute. 7. Add salt and pepper. Serve hot. Health Information: This unusual soap gives the flavour of peas without the calories. Fresh green pea pods add fibre and Vitamins A and C to the soap. Fibre is called nature’s broom because it helps sweep the products of digestion through the body and eliminates them.

1 chopped onion ½ teacup shredded cabbage ½ teacup chopped spinach 2 tablespoons baked beans or tomato ketchup 1 chopped tomato 1 tablespoon oil salt and pepper to taste grated cheese to serve For the stock 1. Cut the onions and tomatoes into big pieces. 2. Add the moong dal and 6 teacups of water and cook in a pressure cooker. 3. When cooked, blend in a liquidiser and strain. How to proceed 1. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 1 minute. 2. Add the vegetables and fry again for 1 minute. 3. Add the stock and boil for 10 minutes. 4. Add the beans, tomato, salt and pepper and give one boil.

For the green chutney. 1 teacup chopped coriandder 4 green chillies 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 teacup water 1/2 teaspoon salt For the garlic chutney. 10 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons chilli powder 1/2 teacup water 1/2 teaspoon salt. For the sweet and sour sauce. 1 teacup jaggery (gur) 1/2 teacup tamarind 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder 1/2 teacup water Salt to taste Chopped coriander for garnish How to proceed. 1. String the papadi. Do not separate into two. 2. Peel the kand and cut into big pieces. 3. Cut the potatoes and sweet potatoes without peeling. 4. Make slits on the brinjals. 5. Mix all the vegetables. Apply the ajwain, chilli-ginger paste, soda bi-carb and salt. Mix thoroughly and apply the oil all over. 6. In a small earthen pot (matka), put a few leaves of lettuce at the bottom. Fill with all thevegetables and cover with the balance lettuce leaves. 7. Cover the matka, with an earthen lid and bake in a hot oven at 200 *C (400 *F) for 1 hour. 8. Alternatively, instead of cooking in a matka, wrap the vegetable mixture (without lettuce leaves) in aluminium foil and bake in a hot oven at 200 *C (400 *F) for 1 hour. 9. Serve with green and garlic chutneys and sweet and sour sauce, oil and seve. For the green chuntey. Blend all the ingredients in a liquidiser. For the garlic chutney. Blend all the ingredients in a liquidiser. For the sweet and sour sauce. Blend all the ingredients except coriander except coriander in a liquidiser. If too thick, add enough water to get the right consistency. Garnish with coriander.

9 cloves garlic 25 mm. (1") piece ginger 7 green chillies For the gravy. 750 grams tomatoes 3 onions 4 cloves 2 small sticks cinnamon 1 tablespoon cornflour 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 teaspoon chilli powder 4 tablespoons butter Salt and pepper to taste To be ground into a paste. 15 cloves 25 mm. (1") piece ginger 5 green chillies For baking 1 tablespoon fresh cream 1/2 tablespoon grated cheese For the koftas. 1. Boil the peas. 2. Steam the cauliflower, french beans and carrots in a pressure cooker without adding water. 3. Add the vegetables and peas to the potatoes and make a dough. 4. Add 1 tablespoon of bread crumbs and the bread slice. 5. Add the paste, garam masala, chilli powder, le mon juice and salt and form into kofta balls. 6. Roll the koftas into the remaining bread crumbs and deep fry in oil to a golden brown colour. Keep aside. For the gravy. 1. Put the tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes. Remove and blend into a puree. 2. Blend the onions in a liquidiser with very little water. 3. Heat the butter,add the onions and stir fry for 5 minutes till light brown. 4. Then add the cloves, cinnamon and paste and fry again for 2 minutes. 5. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes. 6. Add 1 teacup of water and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. 7. Pour the mixture into a blender, add the cornflour and sugar and blend. 8. Put to cook again and add the garam masala, chilli powder, salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. How to proceed. 1. Arrange the koftas in an ovenproof dish. Pour the gravy and fresh cream over the koftas. 2. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake or grill for 10 to 15 minutes in a hot oven at 200 *C (400*F) until the cheese melts.

1 tbp raisins-chopped 1tsp chironji-chopped Syrup 200 gm sugar 3 cups water 1 tbsp milk 1/2 tsp cardamom powder 2 tsp rose essence Silver foil for decoration Method Prepare syrup by boiling together the sugar and water. And milk and remove the scum as it surfaces. Boil till 3 cups of clear syrup are obtained. Remove from fire and flavour with essence and caedamom powder. Keep aside. Cook the mawa for stuffing in frying pan till it is golden brown. Add the rest of the ingredents and mix well. form into small balls and keep separately. Squeeze out the water from the puffed rice and mix it with the rest of the ingredents for Jamuns except oil. Knead well and from into as many balls as the number of stuffing balls you have. Flatten out the puffed rice balls on the plam of your hand and place a mawa ball on it. Fold over adn close sides to make an oval Jamun. deep fry on low fire till dark brown. Drain well and immerse in warm syrup for an hour. Serve warm decorated with silver foil.

Take spinach in a large vessel, add gourd and soda. Toss to mix. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. water all over it. Cover and put to boil on high, for 3 minutes. Cool in a plate or run under tap water to cool. Put in a mixie, add chillies, flour and a few pinches salt. Run till semi-smooth. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger, stir. Add cinnamon clove powder, and stir. Add onions, stir fry till light pink. Add blended spinach mixture, all other ingredients except cheese Stir and allow to cook till thick or 3-4 minutes. Add prepared vegetable at this stage. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes more. Garnish with grated cheese before serving. Goes well with: Veggies like peas, baby corn, french beans, potato chunks, etc. Makes: 2 cups gravy (approx.)

234. Besan Burfi
Ingredients: 1 c Besan 1 c Shortening 1 c Sugar 4 seeds Cardamom Nuts (optional) Method: Melt shortening in a pan. Turn down heat and add cardamom and Besan. Fry, stirring constantly to prevent burning until it has changed to a brown color and smells . (Test: a few drops of water sprinkled on it sputters instantly). Turn off the heat and stir in the sugar. Spread 1/2" thick onto a platter. Cut into diamond shapes after it has cooled down.

Method: 1. Melt un-salted butter in a pan on a mild flame for a few minutes to prepare ghee from butter. 2. Now add wheat flour to this 3. Stir till the flour is very very light brown in color. ( At this point of time you can smell the aroma around!) 4. Add milk to wheat flour 5. Add sugar to mixture 6. Stir this mixture for 10-15 minutes on mild flame till its just a little bit thick (and NOT thick) 7. Add Almonds, Pistachio, Saffron (extremely good for winter)

Method
• • • • Mix 1.5 cups of sugar with the Ricotta cheese and bake it in a 400o F oven for about 1hr and 15 minutes in a flat dish covered with aluminum foil. The cheese should have hard- ened and turned a pale brown. Thicken the Half and Half by simmering over low heat for a long time. This is best done in a microwave; if a microwave is not available, do it over low heat and stir frequently. Thicken until the volume drops to around half of the origi- nal volume. Add the remaining 0.5 cup sugar, cardamon pods, bay leaf, vanilla and rose water (and any other flavouring that you may want) to the Half and Half. Heat for a few minutes. After the cheese has been baked, cut it into 1 inch squares and add to the hot thickened half and half. Cool for a few hours in the fridge.

Method
• • • • • • Bring one gallon of milk to a boil. When boiling add one cup of either whiter vinegar or lemon juice. Turn the stove off. Milk should separate into whey and curd. Pour into collander, leaving only the panir/curd. Leave curd in strainer until cold and dry. This will take at least an hour (you can leave it overnight). Place curd in food processor and process for one minute. It should be soft but not sticky. Form small balls from the curd. Using vinegar usually re- sults in about 80 to 100 rasagollas. Bring one cup sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a pressure cooker. Place 20-25 rasgoolas in syrup. Turn off the heat to place the cover on the pressure cooker. Turn heat on high. When cooker begins to whistle wait for a couple of minutes, then turn it off. When pressure cooker depressurizes, remove cover and re- peat previous step with the rest of the rasgoolas. Do not use the same sugar syrup more than once.

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238. Dum Arvi
Ingredients: Arvi = 500gm Curd = 1 cup Salt to taste Oil for frying Sliced almonds for garnishing Method: Boil the arvi and peel the skin. Prick with fork, fry in oil, and drain. Heat2 tablespoon of oil in another container and add spices to taste (asafetida, chili powder, corriander powder, salt, onion and ginger paste, and a table spoon water. Fry for sometime and then add curd and keep frying till it turns golden brown. Add fried arvi and 1/2 cup water and keep cooking on mild heat till it has almost got dried. Garnish with fresh corriander and sliced almonds and serve hot. Cooking time about 25 minutes and should be sufficient for 2-3 people.

Prepare the cheese chunks, and in a wok or heavy skillet fry them in hot oil until golden. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a paper towel. In the remaining oil sauté the chopped onion until it begins to turn brown. Do not scorch. Add the garlic/ginger paste and bhoona 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomato and bhoona 5 minutes to achieve a thick gravy. Add the dry masala and bhoona 3 minutes more. (NOTE: If the sauce is lumpy at this stage, puree it in a blender and continue.) Add 1/4 cup water, then stir in the peas. Add the paneer cubes and bhoona 2 minutes. Stir in the cashew paste, add salt, pepper. Serve at once. Serves 4 to 6 people.

241. Bhindi Masala
Ingredients: 1 pound (1/2 kg) okra (small) 2 onions, thinly sliced 2 tomatoes, chopped 1/4 cup oil 3/4 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon amchoor powder (or substitute fresh lemon juice) 1/2 teaspoon turmeric salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 teaspoon garam masala 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves for garnish Method: 1. Wash okra under running water and slice off the ends. Cut each in half. Set aside. Prepare onions and tomatoes. Set aside. 2. In a wok or heavy skillet heat the oil and sauté onions until translucent. 3. Add all spices except the garam masala and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bhoona * 1 minute. Add the okra and stir-fry 2 minutes. Cover and steam over medium heat until tender, about 12-15 minutes. 4. Spoon the okra onto a warm serving plate and sprinkle with the garam masala. Garnish with the coriander and serve while hot. * Bhoona is a technique that is essential to Indian cooking. The bhoona technique means that the mixture is cooked over medium-high heat, with constant stirring to avoid scorching, until all liquids are reduced and the spices coat the meat like a paste. About 1/2 cup of water can then be added, the dish covered, and a gravy created as the dish becomes liquified again. Serves 4-6 people.

Method
• • • Chop onion; cut green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and cauliflower into 1 in. cubes. Melt butter and saute onion. Add all the remaining vegetables and stir-fry for about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the spices and vinegar. Stir in the tomato puree, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and fresh-ground pepper.

Break up the chillies along with the stalks into smaller pieces (to enable easier powdering). Heat oil in a kadai and fry on a slow fire, the hing and the fenugreek seeds till light brown in colour. Add coriander seeds, red chillies, cumin seeds, gram dhal and curry leaves and fry for about five minutes on a slow flame till from it is well roasted and you get a lovely aroma. Remove

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flame and allow to cool. Powder fine and bottle it. This powder can be used for 2-3 months.

Use the chillies along with the stalks - as the stalks also have the for potency the of the chillies, and also provide fibre

Masala Preparation
• • • Roast methi, chana daal, and asafoetida. Add chillies when daal starts getting red. If using dry coconut, soak it in a little water and blend the daal mixture and coconut until the paste is fine. Keep aside.

Method
• • • • Mix rava, maida, rice flour together into a thick batter adding little water at a time so no lumps are formed. Mixing by hand is a good idea if you don't have a whisk or electric mixer. Add salt, crushed cumin asafoetida and leave in a warm spot for six to seven hours at least. When ready to eat, spray a non-stick pan lightly with oil and warm. Thin out the batter to the consistency where it can be drizzled onto the pan with a spoon. Drop chopped green chillies and ginger into batter. Sprinkle some of the cut onions and cashews onto the pan and now continuing on low-medium heat, drizzle the batter such that there is a latice work effect. A lot of holes is just the thing. Dribble a bit bit of oil around it and when the edges start turning brown coax it off the pan with a flat, wide spatula and flip it over. Remove in a few minutes and make more. For the plain rava dosa leave out the onions.

Method
Mix well so no lumps are formed. Salt to taste. Leave covered in a large pot overnight. Make thin crepes, preferably in nonstick pan.

252. Dosai
Ingredients Rice 1 1/2 cups Urad Daal 1/2 cup Salt 2 tsp.

Method
• • • Soak the rice and daal separately in slightly warm water for 2 - 8 hours. Grind separately to a smooth paste and mix in a large vessel with salt. Mix thoroughly (use blender if possible). Ferment for 12 hours.

Method Heat the oil in a heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli (if using). Stir for 30 seconds then put the heat down to very low. Cook for 15 minutes stirring from time to time making sure nothing browns or burns. Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook, still very gently, for a further 5 minutes. Don't burn the spices or the sauce will taste horrid - sprinkle on a few drops of water if you're worried. Take off the heat and cool a little. Put 4 fl oz cold water in a blender, add the contents of the pan and whizz until very smooth. Add the passata and stir. Put the puréed mixture back into the pan and cook for 20 - 30 minutes (the longer the better) over very low heat stirring occasionally. You can add a little hot water if it starts to catch on the pan but the idea is to gently "fry" the sauce which will darken in colour to an orangy brown. The final texture should be something like good tomato ketchup. Warning - it WILL gloop occasionally and splatter over your cooker, it's the price you have to pay!

254. Biryani
Indgredients: (serves 6) 2lbs Spring Lamb (cleaned and cut into medium size pieces) 4ozs Yougurt 4ozs Ghee 1lb Rice (washed) 4ozs Onions (sliced finely) 1oz Ginger & Garlic (equal amounts crushed) 1 Lemon 1oz Armonds (ground) 2 Cinamon sticks 4-6 Cardimons 1oz Milk Qtr tspn Safron 2-3 Green Chilies Half tspn Black Zeera 2-3 Cloves Half tsp Garam Masala (equal amounts of Black Zeera, Cardimons & Cinamon sticks, with half amount of cloves) Salt to taste Corriander and Fried Onions to Garnish Method: In a large bowl mix the meat, yoghurt, almonds, chopped green chillies, ginger and garlic, salt, and ground garam masala. To the mixture add half a teaspoon each of chilli powder and termeric. Marinate for at least 4-6 hours in the fridge. Fry the onions in ghee until golden brown and crisp. Drain away any excess ghee and then remove the onions and spread over a large plate. This should keep the onions crispy. Once they have cooled crush the onions with your fingers and add this to the marinated meat mixture. In a large pan half fill with water and add salt, whole garam masala and one green chilli. Bring this to the boil and add the washed rice and cook until the water boils. Once the water has boiled drain the rice in a colander and rinse with a little cold water. Grease the saucepan generously with ghee and transfer the meat mixture. Level the surface and now spread the rice evenly over the meat. Squeeze the lemon and pour the juice over the rice.Warm the milk and crush the safron into it. Pour the milf/safron mixture over the rice. Dot generously with ghee. To garnis h spread the fried onions and corriander over the rice. Cover the saucepan tightly. Allow to steam on high heat for about 10 minutes and then lower the heat and cook for another 1 and a half to 2 hours. Before removing the pan from the cookeer ensure that there is no moisture left in the meat. This can be checked by simply listening for a sizling sound. If there is no sizzling then the Biryani is ready. Biryani is traditonally served with Mirch Salan and Yoghurt Chutney.

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255. Double Ka Meetha (Bread Pudding)
Ingredients: 1 loaf bread (small) 1 lt milk 500 gms sugar 250 gms double cream 250 gms clarified butter 100 gms chopped and roasted cashewnuts 100 gms almonds (soaked and chopped fine) 10 gm saffron 5 cardamom powdered Method: Cut each bread slice into four pieces. Fry them in clarified butter till golden brown. Make a sugar syrup by adding half a litre of water to the sugar and boil it for 15 minutes. Add the powdered cardamom and the saffron dissolved in milk to the sugar syrup. Boil milk until it is thickened. Arrange the fried bread pieces on a flat tray and sprinkle the chopped nuts on them. Pour the sugar syrup, double cream and milk alternately over the bread pieces while they are still hot. Refrigerate and serve as dessert. Eggs in a Spicy Cream Sauce 3 tbsps vegetable oil 2 oz onion, finely chopped 1" cube ginger, grated 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped ½ pt single cream 1 tbsps lemon juice 1 tsp ground roasted cumin 1/8 tsp cayenne ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp garam masala 2 tsps tomato paste ¼ pt chicken stock 6-8 hard boiled eggs,halved 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan. When hot put in the onions. Stir and fry for about three minutes or until the peices are browned at the edges. Put in the ginger and chilli. Stir and fry for a minute.Put in the cream, lemon juice, ground roast cumin, cayenne, salt, garam masal, tomato paste and chicken stock.Stir to mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer. Put all the egg halves into the sauce in a single layer, cut side up. Spoon the sauce over them. Cook over a medium heat for about five minutes, spooning the sauce over the eggs. Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander.

257. Kadhi
1 cup buttermilk1/4 cup besan1 cup watersalt and chilli pd. to tastea pinch of Heeng ( a MUST)a few kadhi patta 1/2 tsp. turmeric1 tsp. oil or ghee1/2 tsp. mustard seeds1/4 tsp. garlic pd.a little bit of minced gingerTo make pakode for the kadhi you'll need:1/2 cup besansalt and chilli pd. to tastea little garam masala1/4 tsp. baking sodaoil to deep fryMake the pakode and keep them aside. Now mix the besan for the kadhi with the buttermilk. Add salt, ginger, garlic and chilli pd.to the same so that they mix thoroughly as well. now heat up the oil. Add the mustard seeds, kadhi patta, turmeric and heeng and then pour in the liquid. Add the water and let the whole thing simmertill the "kachcha" taste of besan is gone i.e. till the whole thing tastes as if" kadhi pak gayi hai". If the water has evaporatedby now do add more as now we'll add the pakode to the kadhiand boil the whole thing till the pakode get completely soaked.Making kadhi is not as difficult as it seems from the recipe butit might take you a little bit of practice to perfect the ART asit takes some instinct.

258. Bengan ka bhurta
1 fair sized egg plant3 medium onions , chopped3 medium tomatoes, chopped1/2 tsp. garlic pd.a little ginger, minced3 tbsp. oil1 jalapeno pepper, chopped1/2 tsp. amchur or anardanasalt and chilli pd to taste1 tsp. corriander pd.1/2 tsp. garam masalaPut the eggplant as is into the oven at 350 till its done. You'll know that its ready when the skin is all wrinkled and water seepsout of it. Peel and mash the eggplant and then "Bhagarofy" itwith all the ingredients. Make sure you "bhunofy" the whole thing really well. If you want you can even add some dry fruits to the stuffas well. Some QUICK sweet for a busy guy :

259. Halwa
1 cup cream of wheat (Sooji/Rawa, you can find that in the cereal section of the store)2 cups of water1 cup sugar1/2 cup unsalted butter or gheesome raisins and cashewsHeat up the butter at medium heat and add the cream of wheat to it. Let the c of w become golden pink and then add the water. Stir the whole thing quickly so that no lumps are formed. When the water more or less evaporates,add the sugar and the dry fruits. Once the consistency is right just eat it up. The whole thing should at most take you 15 minutes and it never fails -comes out perfect each time.

261. Rasavangi
ingredients:Brinjal-big size 2nos, Toor dal -1cup,Tamarind(imli)pulp -1 table spoon, turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon, salt -to taste For the paste:coriander 2teaspoon, channa dal 1/2 teaspoon, fenugreek 1 teaspoon, red chilli 10 numbers, haldi powder 1/2 teaspoon, coconut gratings 3 tablespoon,all t hese ingradients are to be fried dry and ground to a paste. method:Cut the brinjal into 1 inch blocks. Boil in water and add all the above except toor dal. the dal has to be cooked separately and finally added to the main portion. Seasoning:fry in oil mustard, toor dal and coconut gratings and add to the main dish. Also add coriander leaves and Kari veppu leaves. This dish will have to be made thick and brinjals should not be fully mashed. This dish can be eaten along with rice and chapathis.

262. Stuffed Brinjal Curry
Split peas dal - 1 1/2 tsp, urud dal - 1 1/2 tsp, coriander seeds - 1 1/2 tsp, whole red peppers - 10, salt to taste Fry the above in one spoon of oil and grind it into a thick paste.Cut 10 small brinjals diagonally so that the stem portion of the brinjal opens up. Stuff the brinjal with the ground paste. Heat oil in a fry pan and add the brinjals, keeping the stove at low heat.Close the pan with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.See that it is not deep fried. Serve hot.

263. Maida Bonda
Maida or All-purpose-flour -2cups, Rice flour - Half cup, Finely chopped onions - 2 onions, Chillies - 2 nos, Cumin seeds 1 spoon, Sour curd - 1 cup Method: Mix all the above ingredients and soak for about one hour.Then take some oil in a pan, put small portions of it in oil,fry them intil they are golden brown.This is good for appetizer.

267. Tomato pickle
Cut the tomatoes into large pieces.Add red chilli powder,a small piece of tamarind and salt.Grind it in a blender to make it into a thick juice.Pout 5 teaspoons of oil in a frypan.Add mustard seeds,fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida(perungayam).When the mustard splatters,add the tomato mixture and fry at low heat with constant frying until it becomes a thick paste.This will taste great with curd rice.

270. Tamarind pickle (Pulikkachal)
coriander seeds (Dhaniya), fenugreek seeds, sesame seeds - each 1 spoon asafoetida - 1/4 spoon Slightly roast the above without oil and grind into fine powder. Pour 3 spoons of oil in a fry pan and add some gram dal and whole red peppers and fry slightly. Add tamarind juice to this and bring it to boil.Add salt and heat with constant stirring until the mixture becomes thick. Now add the ground powder and stir constantly with heating until it becomes a non-sticky paste.Store in refrigerator.

274. Curd Vadai
Grind some grated coconut and green chillies into a thick paste.Add this to thick curd and keep it aside. Rinse the required amount of urud dal(black gram) for about 1 1/2 hours.Grind into a thick paste. Add salt, coconut pieces, 148

black whole peppers, and asafoetida.Take a small piece of plantain leaf or plastic sheet of paper and tap the flour on the sheet into a round flat shape Make a small hole in the middle so that it gets fried uniformly.Drop this carefuly into boiling oil and fry till it turns golden brown.

275. Cabbage Vadai
Soak 1 cup of urul dal for 1 hour and grind into a thick fine paste. To 1 volume of this add I volume of finely cut cabbage pieces ,add salt - 3/4 spoon and mix well Take a plastic sheet of paper and put even sized balls of this and flatten it. Deep fry this in boining oil. Turn over until golden brown in colour and it is fully cooked…

276. Urud Vadai (Medhu vadai)
Soak 1 cup urud dal in sufficient amt of water for 1 hour and grind into a thick fine flour. Add 1 tsp salt, 2-3 chopped green chillies, 1 tsp whole black peppers, a bunch of curry leaves and mix well. On a plastic piece of paper place a ball of this and flatten it by hand. Deep fry this in oil and turn over until the vada turns golden brown.

277. Dal Vadai (Aama vadai)
Soak 200 g of gram dal, 200 g of toor dal, 6-8 tsp of urud dal for an hour.Grind 3 green chillies, 3 whole red peppers and salt in a blender.Add the soaked dal to this mixture and grind coarsely. Take a ball of this mixture and place it on a plastic sheet of paper and pat it to flatten it a little. Then drop them in boiling oil. Turn over both sides until fully cooked. Error! Bookmark not defined.

278. Mangalore bonda
Mix 2 cups maid and 1 cup rice flour. To this add 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 hot green chillies(chopped), and salt - 1/2 tsp. Add a buttermilk to this so that the mix becomes a thick paste(thicker than that for bajji). Deep fry in oil. Error! Bookmark not defined.Error! Bookmark not defined.

279. Rawa Kichadi
Vegetables - Beans, carrots, onions Cut the vegetables into fine pieces. Take 1 cup of rawa and lightly roast without oil to make it crisp. Pour 3 teaspoons of oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds.When it splatters, add 1 tsp urud dal, 1 teaspoon gram dal, and roast lightly.Add a pinch of asafoetida. Now add 3 cups of water and when it begins to boil add rawa and keep stirring till all the water is absorbed and it becomes thick (fully cooked).

281. Aval uppuma
Soak 200 g of aval in water for 1/2 hour.Heat 4 tsp of oil in a pan, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds. When it pops, add 1 tsp urud dal, 1/2 tsp whole black peppers, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp salt. Drain the water from the aval and add it to the pan and fry. You can mix curd with soaked aval if you like.

282. VenPongal
Mix rice and moong dal in the ratio 1:1.Add 3 times water and steam until it is overcooked.Cut green chillies and ginger into fine pieces.Take some ghee in a fry pan and add whole black peppers, and cumun eeds.When the peppers burst add 149

chillie and ginger pieces and a pinch of turmeric powder.Add some cashewnuts and remove the pan when the cashews are roasted and begin to smell.Add this to cooked dal-rice.Add salt, curry leaves and mix well.Add some ghee while serving.

283. Sevai (Idiyappam)
Heat 4 cups of water in a vessel and bring it to boil. To this add 2 cups of rice flour(you may mix some sago with rice and powder in a flour mill) and stir well so that it becomes thick paste. Add a pinch of salt and stir well. Using this flour in omappodi achu, squeeze into the form of long threads on a plate. (you can use idli plates for this) and steam it in a large vessel or a pressure cooker. Now the sevai is ready . For serving follow the procedure for Error! Bookmark not defined. or Error! Bookmark not defined., using this preparation in the place of rice.

Kaaradai
Roast 200 g of raw rice and powder it into a nice rava.Dry roast 2 tsp of cowgram. In a thick vessel, heat water to boil, and add the roasted cowgram , coconut pieces(cut into very small pieces) and 1/2 tsp salt.When they are cooked, add the rawa and stir into a paste. Flatten this flour ino round shape (the size of urud vadai), place in idli plates and cook.

285. Masala Dosai
Par Boiled rice - 2 Raw rice - 2 Urud Dal - 1/2 Fenugreek seeds - little Rinse the above ingredients in water for about 2-3 hours.Then grind in a blender (with adding water in steps) into a very fine flour.Add salt and keep it aside (to get sour)for 12 hours. Heat the pan and spread a drop of oil on it.When the pan is fully heated, take some flour and spread it on the pan into a round shape.Turn it over so that both sides are cooked well.When it is almost cooked spread a teaspoon of Error! Bookmark not defined. over it.Place some Error! Bookmark not defined. and roll the dosai on both sides and move it to a plate.

286. Uthappam
Par boiled rice - 4 cups, Urud dal -1/2 cup, fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp Soak the above in water for about 4 - 5 hours and grind into a fine flour. Leave it for about 8 hours to become sour. Heat a dosa tawa and spread a tsp of oil over it. When it becomes hot enough, place a laddle of flour and spread on it(it should be thick than a normal dosa). When it is cokked on one side, turn over, add a tsp of oil all over its edge and remove when fully cooked. Side dish -Error! Bookmark not defined., curd.

287. Maida dosai
Mix maida:rice four in the ratio 2:1. Add about 2 tsp of rava.Add water and mix. Let it be more thin than normal dosai.To this add chopped green chillies, few cumin seeds, salt to taste(about 1 tsp). Add ome splattered mustard seeds. Make dosas as described in Error! Bookmark not defined., but make the dosas more thick. The same procedure can be followed with wheat flour instead of maida

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288. Rava dosai
Slightly roast rawa in a dry pan. Mix roasted rawa and rice flour in the ratio 3:1 and make to a thin consistency. Add chopped green chillies, chopped onions, curry leaves, cumin seeds and make dosas as described in Error! Bookmark not defined..

289. Laddu
Prepare Error! Bookmark not defined..Make sugar syrup by boiling 1:1 Sugar and water for about 5 minutes. Drop the boondis into the sugar syrup and mix well.Roast some cashews and raisins in ghee and add it to the mix. Also add a feww cardomoms and kalkandu and mix well. Wait until the mixture cools down to a temperature where the hand can withstand the heat. Now make into even balls by pressing lightly with hand. Allow to cool.

291. Sakkarai Pongal
Take rice, moongdal, gram dal in the ratio 2:2:1.Add water and steam in pressure cooker.Take vellam (amount should be 2/3 of cooked mixture) and dissolve in little water so that it just completely dissolves and heat it separately. Add the liquid part of this juice (which will be at the top) to cooked mixture. Roast cashewnuts, raisins, grated coconut in ghee and add this to the mixture and stir well.Add some extra ghee while serving.

292. Jilebi
Sugar syrup:Heat sugar and water(1:1) and any essence if preferred until it becomes thick. Soak urud dal for 1/2 hour and grind it into a thin soft paste. Pour this paste in a thick plastic cover and make a small hole at its bottom corner.Heat oil in a fry pan and squeeze the paste into the oil in the form of tubes and fry until fully cooked.Remove this from oil and drop into sugar syrup for 2 minutes and then remove.

293. Kozhukkattai
Outer cover: Rice flour - 1, water 1 Heat water to boil.Pour 2 tsp sesame oil in it and add rice flour with constant stirring so that it becomes thick. Cover and keep aside for 1/2 hour.Then take even sized balls of this and shape it into a hollow hemisphere. Inner stuffing(Poornam): Mix 1 cup grated coconut, 1 cup powdered jaggery, leave for 5 min.Heat this mixture in low heat with constant stirring Stuff the poornam in the hemisphere and close it by extending the covering flour.Place these in a plate and steam in a pressure cooker or a large vessel until fully cooked.

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294. Poli
Poornam:Boil gram-dal until half-cooked and drain the water.Add jaggery, grated coconut, cardomom and grind.Make it tghick by heating in low heat for a little while. Make this into round balls. Add a pinch of salt to maida and knead it by adding a few tsp of sesame oil and pat it on a plastic sheet into round flat shape.place a ball of poornam on it, mix well and pat it again.Heat a griddle, put the poli and add a spoon of ghee around it.Turn over until both s ides are cooked well.

295. Somaasi
Poornam: Grind 1/4 kg Pottu kadalai, 1/4 kg sugar, and 5-6 cardomoms(skin removed) and 1 cup grated coconut(slightly roasted in a little ghee) into a powder. Take maida:rawa in the ratio 1:1, each 1/4 kg, add a pinch of salt, add minimum water and knead tightly. Make this flour into even sized balls and roll in the form of pooris or chappathis. Place 2 tsp of the poornam on this ans fold it sealing on the sides, so that it becomes semi-circular in shape. Deep fry this in oil.

297. Milk Appam
Rice flour - 1 cup, grated coconut - 1/2 cup, sugar - 50g, salt - 1 pinch, cardomom - 3, oil for frying Grind coconut and take the milk. Heat 1 cup of water and when it comes to boil, add the rice flour to make a paste. To this , add the coconut milk, sugar, salt and cardomom and mix to the consistency of Dosai batter. With a spoon, pour one by one in oil and fry. Turn it over in oil until it is fully cooked.

298. Sweet Puttu
Dry roast 400g of rice and powder it finely. Heat equal quantity of water to lukewarm, add a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Pour this water into the powdered rice and mix into a paste. Steam this paste in a pressure cooker fully until you get 4-5 whistles. To 50 ml water add 1/2 kg jaggery , 6 cardomoms, and 1/4 cup grated coconut and make syrup out of jaggery as described in Error! Bookmark not defined. Break the cooked rice dough into fine pieces, and mix it with the jaggery syrup. Add roasted cashewnuts.

299. Paanagam
Dissolve jaggery in water. Add a a few cardomoms, mix and serve cold.

300. Sweet Adai
Roast 200 g of raw rice and powder it into a nice rava.Dry roast 2 tsp of cowgram. In a thick vessel, heat water, and add the roasted cowgram, coconut pieces(cut into very small pieces), 100g jaggery and a pinch of salt.When they are cooked, add the rawa and stir into a paste. Add 2 tsp of ghee to it and flatten this flour ino round shape (the size of urud vadai), place in idli plates and cook.

Procedure • Soak the channas for at least 6 hours • Add ½ teaspoon of soda bi-carb and cook in a pressure cooker • Cut the potatoes and tomatoes into big pieces • Heat the ghee in a vessel and fry the potatoes until soft • Remove the potatoes. In the same ghee add the onions and cook for a little time. • Add the dhana -jira and chilli powder and fry again. • Add the boiled channas and salt. • After 5 minutes, add the garam masala, amchur and black pepper powder and cook for 2 minutes. • Add the potatoes and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. • Decorate with coriander, chillies and slices of tomatoes and ginger.

313. Thukada
IngredientsAll purpose flour (Maida) 2 cupsChilli powder 1/2 t.spoonHing a small pinchSalt 1 t.spoonButter 2 t.spoonCooking oil for frying MethodMix maida, chilli powder, hing, salt, and butter with little water, and make a nice dough similar to Chappati dough.Make small balls, and roll them similar to chappati/puri's andcut them into small squares/dimonds. Deep fry these small squares in oil.

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314. Idli
IngredientsPar boiled rice 3 cupsUrad dhall 1 cupSalt 2 t.spoon MethodRnse and soak rice and urad dhall seperately in water for 2 hours. Grind the two seperately, and mix them together with salt.Keep it overnight, before making idlis.

316. Aval Dosai
IngredientsRice 2 cupsAval 3/4 cupsUrad dhall 1/2 cupSalt 1.5 t.spoonsCooking Oil for making dosas MethodRinse and soak rice, aval and urad dhall in water for 1 hour.Wet grind the above with salt into a nice batter. Keep at roomtemperature for 12 hours.Method to make Aval Dosai: Spread a big spoon full of the above batter on a hot non-stick pan, and put 1 t.spoon of oil around it. Close the dosa with acover and let it cook for a few minutes. Do not turn the dosa.Serve it hot with chutney.

317. Vella (Jaggery) Dosai
Ingredients Wheat flour 1 cupRice flour 1/4 cupAll purpose flour (Maida) 1/4 cupCream of Rice (Rava) 3 t.spoonsCoconut 1/4 cup finely choppedJaggery 1 cupCardamom 2 powderedGhee 1-2 t.spoons per dosai MethodMelt jaggery in 2 cups of boiling water and let it cool.Mix wheat flour, rice flour, rava, maida, cardamon, and coconut with the melted jaggery, and make a fine batter.Method to make Vella Dosai:(Similar to making dosai's/Pan cakes)Spread a big spoon full of the above batter on a hot non-stick pan, and put 1 t.spoon of ghee around it. Let it cook on this side for a few minutes, and then turn over to the other side, andput 1 t.spoon of ghee around it. Wait till the dosai turns brown.

319. Ordinary Adai
IngredientsThuvar dhall 2 cupsChanna dhall 1 cupUrad dhall 1/2 cupMoong dhall 4 t.spoonsCream of Rice 1.5 cupsRed chillies 8Green chillies 4Hing 1/4 t.spoonSalt 1.5 t.spoonCooking oil for making addai Method Rinse and soak thuvar dhall, channa dhall, urad dhall, moong dhall, and cream of rice together in 6 cups of water.Grind the above coarsely with salt, hing and red chillies.Method to make Addai: (Similar to making dosai's/Pan cakes)Spread a big spoon full of the above batter on a hot non-stick pan, and put 1 t.spoon of oil around it. Let it cook on this side for a few minutes, and then turn over to the other side, andput 1 t.spoon of oil around it. Wait till the addai turns brown.Serve it hot with any chutney, or with some jaggery.